Latest Updates

📅 July 2026

Website Launch

The St. George Housing Affordability Initiative officially launches, providing residents with comprehensive research, policy recommendations, community resources, and opportunities to participate in the conversation about housing affordability in Washington County.

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📅 July 2026

Executive Policy Report Published

The Executive Policy Report is now available for download, offering a concise overview of the research, key findings, and policy recommendations presented by the initiative.

Download Report →

📅 July 2026

Comprehensive Policy Report Released

The complete research report is now available, featuring detailed housing market analysis, workforce impacts, demographic trends, legislative recommendations, community perspectives, and supporting data.

📅 August 2026

Constructive Dialogue Begins with the City of St. George

The St. George Housing Affordability Initiative continues to gain momentum, and I am grateful for the encouragement and support our community has shown during these early stages.

Since launching the website, residents have begun exploring the research, sharing feedback, and adding their names to the Community Statement of Support. While this initiative is still in its infancy, every conversation and every signature represents another person who believes housing affordability deserves thoughtful, informed discussion.

One of the most encouraging developments this week was the opportunity to meet with Carol Winner, Community Development Director for the City of St. George. I sincerely appreciate them taking the time to discuss my research, answer questions, and share their perspectives on the housing challenges facing our community.

Our conversation reinforced several important lessons.

First, housing affordability is a complex issue with many contributing factors. Local governments play an important role in planning, zoning, infrastructure, and long-term community development, but many of the forces that influence housing prices—including land costs, construction costs, financing, market demand, and developer decisions—extend beyond municipal control.

We also discussed the fact that Utah and other government partners have created programs and incentives intended to encourage the construction of workforce and affordable housing. However, participation in many of these programs remains voluntary, and developers ultimately decide whether those incentives align with their business objectives.

Perhaps the most meaningful takeaway from our discussion was the importance of community participation. One observation that resonated with me was that many residents who care deeply about these issues simply don't speak up. Whether due to busy schedules, uncertainty about the process, or the belief that one voice won't make a difference, valuable perspectives are often missing from public conversations.

That observation reinforces one of the primary goals of this initiative: to encourage informed, respectful civic engagement. Lasting solutions require collaboration among residents, local governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, developers, and community leaders. Every stakeholder brings a unique perspective, and meaningful progress depends on understanding those perspectives while working toward shared goals.

This meeting marked an important milestone—not because it produced immediate solutions, but because it opened the door to constructive dialogue. I left with a greater appreciation for both the complexity of housing policy and the importance of continuing to learn from those working on these issues every day.

As the initiative moves forward, I plan to continue meeting with community leaders, housing organizations, developers, nonprofit agencies, and residents to better understand the challenges and opportunities surrounding housing affordability in Washington County.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this initiative so far. Your encouragement, feedback, and willingness to participate continue to inspire me.

Together, we can help create a more informed community and contribute to thoughtful conversations about the future of housing in Washington County.

📅 August 2026

From Local Advocacy to Statewide Conversation

Initiative Meets with Utah Housing Officials to Discuss Affordability, Development, and the Importance of Local Advocacy

The St. George Housing Affordability Initiative recently had the opportunity to participate in an informative discussion with several professionals involved in housing programs and policy at the State of Utah level.

Participants included professionals working in housing programs, multifamily housing, moderate-income housing reporting, revitalization programs, and state land and infrastructure.

The meeting provided an opportunity to better understand what Utah is already doing to address housing affordability, the challenges that can slow progress, and the important role local residents can play in helping state and local leaders understand what is happening on the ground.

Affordable Housing Is Gaining Attention

One of the encouraging takeaways from the conversation was that there is significant interest in addressing housing affordability throughout Utah.

State representatives and housing professionals are actively involved in efforts related to financing, bonding, rehabilitation, preservation of affordable housing, moderate-income housing, reporting, and other programs intended to strengthen Utah's housing supply.

At the same time, the conversation highlighted an important distinction: much of the established housing discussion and policy infrastructure has historically focused on moderate-income housing, while some of the challenges surrounding lower-income housing and attainable single-family homeownership remain difficult and, in some respects, comparatively newer areas of focus.

Progress is occurring—but the complexity of the issue means progress can be slower than communities would like.

The Developer Equation Remains Complicated

Another major topic was the relationship between affordability initiatives and housing development.

Developers operate within a complicated financial environment involving land acquisition, utilities, zoning requirements, infrastructure, financing, construction expenses, regulatory requirements, and ultimately the need for a project to remain financially viable.

Affordable housing programs can sometimes introduce additional requirements or costs. If developers conclude that a particular program does not work financially, they may choose not to participate.

This presents an important challenge for policymakers:

How do we make housing affordability a meaningful community priority while creating programs that developers can realistically implement?

Not every developer approaches this question in the same way. Some are particularly mission-driven and interested in contributing to affordability solutions. Helping those developers understand programs and strategies that have worked successfully in other communities may provide additional opportunities for progress.

This reinforces something the Initiative continues to believe strongly: lasting solutions will require communication rather than simply placing government, developers, and residents on opposing sides.

Policy Is Only Part of the Solution

The meeting also reinforced the importance of implementation.

Utah has housing programs, financial resources, reporting requirements, legislative involvement, and professionals working on these issues. State representatives are also engaged in areas such as bonding, housing activity, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordability.

But policies and reports alone cannot tell the entire story.

Having "boots on the ground" matters.

Residents, community organizations, housing professionals, local governments, developers, and advocates can help identify where programs are succeeding, where gaps remain, and how housing conditions are actually affecting families within individual communities.

That message closely aligns with what the Initiative has heard during conversations at the local level as well: informed citizens need to participate.

There Is Reason for Optimism

Perhaps the most encouraging takeaway from this meeting was discovering just how many people are already working on this issue.

The Initiative was provided with additional information regarding housing programs, financial resources, legislative contacts, advocacy organizations, and other resources that can help expand our understanding of Utah's housing system.

Many of the concerns that led to the creation of the St. George Housing Affordability Initiative are concerns shared by others working in housing and government.

There are no simple solutions, and meaningful change will take time. But conversations are occurring. Programs exist. Policymakers are engaged. Housing professionals are working on solutions. And there are opportunities for citizens to become part of that process.

What We're Learning

When this Initiative began, the focus was largely on documenting the affordability problem.

The more conversations we have, however, the clearer it becomes that understanding the problem is only the beginning.

We also need to understand:

• What programs already exist.

• Where those programs are succeeding.

• Why some programs are underutilized.

• What prevents developers from participating.

• Which solutions have worked in other communities.

• Where local and state authority begins and ends.

• Where gaps still exist for lower-income households and aspiring homeowners.

• And, perhaps most importantly, how residents can participate constructively in the process.

Our purpose is therefore continuing to evolve from simply raising awareness to helping create an informed bridge between residents, policymakers, housing professionals, developers, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders.

Where We Go From Here

The St. George Housing Affordability Initiative will continue reviewing the resources provided during this meeting and reaching out to policymakers, housing professionals, developers, advocacy organizations, and community partners.

We also intend to continue asking difficult but necessary questions about affordability—while recognizing the financial, legal, regulatory, and practical realities involved in producing housing.

Progress will require more than government action.

It will require developers willing to participate, policymakers willing to explore new approaches, organizations willing to collaborate, and residents willing to speak up.

There is still significant work ahead, but these conversations have given us reason to believe that meaningful progress is possible.

Most importantly, your voice matters.

If housing affordability has affected you, your family, your profession, or your ability to remain in the community you call home, we encourage you to learn about the issue, participate in the conversation, share your experiences, and support responsible efforts to make housing more attainable for current and future generations.

The St. George Housing Affordability Initiative will continue working to make sure those voices are part of the conversation.

Community Events

Utah Rental Housing Association (RHA) - Southern Utah Education Conference & Tradeshow

When: Nov 18, 2026 8:30 AM - 5 PM

Where: St. George, UT

What: The RHA Southern Utah Education Conference and Trade Show is the state's

largest event for individuals involved in rental housing. Attendees who attend

receive world class education in addition to an enjoyable day of networking, playing

games, and winning prizes from exhibitors.

Please Also Visit the Following for Updates on Local Community Action and Events:

• Housing Action Coalition for Washington County, Utah

https://www.hacwashingtoncounty.com/ 

• City of Saint George Utah

https://sgcityutah.gov/

• Five County Association of Governments

https://fivecountycommunityaction.squarespace.com/

• Saint George Housing Authority

http://www.stgeorgehousingauthority.org

• Southern Utah Housing Solutions

https://southernutahhousingsolutions.com/

• Utah Housing Coporation

https://utahhousingcorp.org/multifamily/

• Utah League of Cities & Towns

https://www.ulct.utah.gov/ 

• Utah Association of Counties

https://www.utahcounties.org/ 

• Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute

https://gardner.utah.edu/

• Utah Housing Affordability Dashboard

https://gardner.utah.edu/affordable-housing-dashboard/ 

Note: No community events are currently scheduled for this initiative. Please check back for future announcements. 

Coming Soon

Future additions may include:

• Annual Housing Report Card

• Updated affordability statistics

• Community survey results

• New policy analysis

• Interactive housing maps

• Additional infographics

• Public presentation materials