I am writing in response to the Salt Lake Tribune article titled, “As federal housing efforts face cuts, states-including Utah- are working together to fix the housing crisis.”
The issue that I would like to address is the affordability of housing within the Salt Lake Valley. The average home price in Salt Lake City is currently $570,000 as of 2024 (Redfin, 2025). Just 10 years ago the average price for a home was $272,000 (BestSaltLakeHomes, 2024).
The average Utah resident will make $53,000 a year; this is a take home amount of $1,757 a month (Smartasset, 2025). The mortgage for a home purchased at $570,000 is $3,103.
How, may I ask, is a person supposed to buy a home in this state on that kind of salary? As stated in your article, the federal government is not going to do anything about the housing prices any time soon. So the state government needs to intervene.
My call to action is for the local government to put the money where it will make the most difference. A home is an essential human right and by making homes more affordable to the residents of Utah you will be upholding the rights of your citizens.
Create more affordable homes here in Utah or see a rise in homelessness.
Sara Hansen, Salt Lake City
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