People our communities rely on—like teachers, childcare workers, and service and retail workers—can't find homes they can afford in Salt Lake City. And when there are not enough homes, people move further out to find housing, creating sprawl, longer commutes, and more climate-warming pollution. Expanding Housing Options can support the City’s climate and water conservation goals. 

Increasing homes near jobs and transit means people can spend less time and fuel commuting to work or amenities. Transportation is one of the largest contributors to carbon pollution in Salt Lake City, with nearly 56% of greenhouse gas emissions coming from motor vehicles. By increasing infill development, we will reduce car trips and carbon emissions, also improving local air quality

Adding more middle housing options like townhomes and duplexes helps reduce sprawl by allowing slightly taller, compact development that grows up rather than out. This protects our open spaces and farmland.

Infill development makes use of existing infrastructure, giving it a lower environmental footprint. Compared to suburban alternatives, infill housing in Salt Lake City would result in less driving and lower energy and water consumption per home. At a time when water is scarce, we should encourage more home options that don’t have large yards to water and maintain – like modest middle housing options on smaller lots – to ensure we can weather the drought.