Utah unveils new housing dashboard in effort to hit ‘moonshot' goal of building 35,000 starter homes
Gov. Cox announced plans at the to construct 35,000 starter homes within five years. He shared that since that announcement, 5,100 starter homes have been built and sold.
'We know that's not enough. We're on our way, but we desperately need to do more. With Utah's growing population and we need to do more and we need to move faster,' he said.
Part of the solution, he said, is working with individual cities. He admitted that sometimes there are 'bad actors,' or a few cities that aren't approving plans or trying to drive up costs to prevent development, who can make things more difficult. But more so, he focused on how cities are contributing to fix the problem, saying dozens and dozens of them are striving to improve the housing crisis.
How Utah is working toward increasing more affordable housing
'The American dream of home ownership is slowly but surely slipping away from far too many, out of reach of our children and grandchildren. Reversing that trend requires collaboration. It requires courage and action from all levels of government,' he said. 'We are committed to building 35,000 starter homes in the next four years. That's our moonshot, and we are making progress.'
The governor announced there will be resources to help track and meet this goal, such as a statewide housing dashboard between city governments and the state, which will track progress and identify gaps in success.
The summit also looked at reforms being adopted in other states, including parking mandates, legalizing accessory dwelling units and modernizing building codes.
'We're committed to ensuring Utah doesn't fall behind on housing reform. We know there's been news this week of other states that are passing major housing reform packages. We're watching those closely. We're looking at the reform packages that we've passed over the past couple of years, getting those implemented and watching those changes starting to take hold. These are bipartisan and practical reforms, not left or right, just smart. Utah has always been a leader in that area, and we intend to stay,' he said.
The Supreme Court reinstates federal approval in Uinta Basin Railway project
Clearfield City Mayor Mark Shepherd said housing is an issue that needs to be addressed at every level. He added that legislation in recent years, such as H.B. 462 in 2022, known as Utah Housing Affordability Amendments, and (HTRZ), are now seeing success.
'Without this, the market would have supported about 16,000 units, but with that, the HTRZs, we're now expecting 42,000 units. We are in the process. We see it coming. We've got cities doing everything they can to try to make this happen,' he said. 'There are areas where we need cities' help. We need them to delve in more. We need them to stick the shovels in the ground and really make an effort. But the vast majority of our cities in the state are making huge strides in housing.'
Herriman Mayor Lauren Palmer added that housing is a concern to everyone in the community, which is why it's important for local leaders to come together.
'We have kids that are being impacted by the housing crisis right now, by the price of housing, so as we look forward to collaborating with our development partners, with the state, with other leaders around us, we look forward to finding ways to convert those entitled units into units that can be lived in by our children,' he said. 'They can be an asset to this community that can help people stay in this wonderful state and our wonderful communities that we have helped develop.'
Cat who survived 400-foot Bryce Canyon fall adopted by rescuing pilot
SLCPD arrest man for nearly hitting officers with vehicle while fleeing traffic stop
Utah unveils new housing dashboard in effort to hit 'moonshot' goal of building 35,000 starter homes
DOJ cutting American Bar Association access to judicial nominees
Kanab sex offender charged with 50 felonies for sexual exploitation of a minor
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
23 minutes ago
- New York Post
Most US adults still support legal abortion 3 years after Roe was overturned, poll finds
Three years after the Supreme Court opened the door to state abortion bans, most U.S. adults continue to say abortion should be legal — views that look similar to before the landmark ruling. The new findings from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll show that about two-thirds of U.S. adults think abortion should be legal in all or most cases. About half believe abortion should be available in their state if someone does not want to be pregnant for any reason. Advertisement 6 The new findings from the poll show that about two-thirds of U.S. adults think abortion should be legal in all or most cases. AP That level of support for abortion is down slightly from what an AP-NORC poll showed last year, when it seemed that support for legal abortion might be rising. Laws and opinions changed when Roe was overturned The June 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door to state bans on abortion led to major policy changes. Advertisement Most states have either moved to protect abortion access or restrict it. Twelve are now enforcing bans on abortion at every stage of pregnancy, and four more do so after about six weeks' gestation, which is often before women realize they're pregnant. In the aftermath of the ruling, AP-NORC polling suggested that support for legal abortion access might be increasing. 6 About half believe abortion should be available in their state if someone does not want to be pregnant for any reason. REUTERS Advertisement Last year, an AP-NORC poll conducted in June found that 7 in 10 U.S. adults said it should be available in all or most cases, up slightly from 65% in May 2022, just before the decision that overruled the constitutional right to abortion, and 57% in June 2021. The new poll is closer to Americans' views before the Supreme Court ruled. Now, 64% of adults support legal abortion in most or all cases. More than half the adults in states with the most stringent bans are in that group. 6 The June 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door to state bans on abortion led to major policy changes. AP Advertisement Similarly, about half now say abortion should be available in their state when someone doesn't want to continue their pregnancy for any reason — about the same as in June 2021 but down from about 6 in 10 who said that in 2024. Adults in the strictest states are just as likely as others to say abortion should be available in their state to women who want to end pregnancies for any reason. Democrats support abortion access far more than Republicans do. Support for legal abortion has dropped slightly among members of both parties since June 2024, but nearly 9 in 10 Democrats and roughly 4 in 10 Republicans say abortion should be legal in at least most instances. Fallout from state bans has influenced some people's positions — but not others Seeing what's happened in the aftermath of the ruling has strengthened the abortion rights position of Wilaysha White, a 25-year-old Ohio mom. She has some regrets about the abortion she had when she was homeless. 6 In the aftermath of the ruling, AP-NORC polling suggested that support for legal abortion access might be increasing. AP 'I don't think you should be able to get an abortion anytime,' said White, who calls herself a 'semi-Republican.' But she said that hearing about situations — including when a Georgia woman was arrested after a miscarriage and initially charged with concealing a death — is a bigger concern. Advertisement 'Seeing women being sick and life or death, they're not being put first — that's just scary,' she said. 'I'd rather have it be legal across the board than have that.' Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here! Julie Reynolds' strong anti-abortion stance has been cemented for decades and hasn't shifted since Roe was overturned. 'It's a moral issue,' said the 66-year-old Arizona woman, who works part time as a bank teller. Advertisement She said her view is shaped partly by having obtained an abortion herself when she was in her 20s. 'I would not want a woman to go through that,' she said. 'I live with that every day. I took a life.' Support remains high for legal abortion in certain situations 6 'It's a moral issue,' said the 66-year-old Arizona woman, who works part time as a bank teller. AP The vast majority of U.S. adults — at least 8 in 10 — continue to say their state should allow legal abortion if a fetal abnormality would prevent the child from surviving outside the womb, if the patient's health is seriously endangered by the pregnancy, or if the person became pregnant as a result of rape or incest. Advertisement Consistent with AP-NORC's June 2024 poll, about 7 in 10 U.S. adults 'strongly' or 'somewhat' favor protecting access to abortions for patients who are experiencing miscarriages or other pregnancy-related emergencies. In states that have banned or restricted abortion, such medical exceptions have been sharply in focus. This is a major concern for Nicole Jones, a 32-year-old Florida resident. Jones and her husband would like to have children soon. But she said she's worried about access to abortion if there's a fetal abnormality or a condition that would threaten her life in pregnancy since they live in a state that bans most abortions after the first six weeks of gestation. Advertisement 'What if we needed something?' she asked. 'We'd have to travel out of state or risk my life because of this ban.' Adults support protections for seeking abortions across state lines — but not as strongly 6 In states that have banned or restricted abortion, such medical exceptions have been sharply in focus. REUTERS There's less consensus on whether states that allow abortion should protect access for women who live in places with bans. Just over half support protecting a patient's right to obtain an abortion in another state and shielding those who provide abortions from fines or prison time. In both cases, relatively few adults — about 2 in 10 — oppose the measures and about 1 in 4 are neutral. More Americans also favor than oppose legal protections for doctors who prescribe and mail abortion pills to patients in states with bans. About 4 in 10 'somewhat' or 'strongly' favor those protections, and roughly 3 in 10 oppose them. Such telehealth prescriptions are a key reason that the number of abortions nationally has risen even as travel for abortion has declined slightly.
The Hill
23 minutes ago
- The Hill
6 months in, Trump's unorthodox foreign policy is rewriting the rules
President Trump's return to office has marked a fundamental departure from conventional foreign policy approaches that have dominated Washington for decades. His first six months demonstrate how unorthodox methods — transactional negotiations, direct pressure and strategic leverage — can achieve breakthroughs that traditional diplomatic playbooks consistently failed to deliver. The results challenge long-held assumptions about international relations. Where successive administrations have relied on multilateral consensus-building and careful diplomatic protocol, Trump has moved decisively to address longstanding challenges through direct engagement and clear incentives. The outcomes speak for themselves: concrete achievements that decades of conventional wisdom could not produce. The June NATO summit in Brussels exemplifies this transformation. Trump secured an unprecedented agreement from member nations to increase defense spending to 3.5 percent of GDP by 2035, with Poland, Estonia, and Lithuania committing to reach 5 percent within the decade. This represents the largest collective defense spending increase since the alliance's founding. For decades, American presidents from both parties have struggled to convince NATO allies to shoulder more of the defense burden. George W. Bush, Barack Obama and others made passionate appeals with minimal results. Trump's direct pressure on individual leaders — including frank conversations about the consequences of continued free-riding — achieved what 20 years of diplomatic consensus-building could not. The breakthrough reveals how Trump's willingness to challenge diplomatic norms can produce substantive results. When allies understand that America's patience with free-riding has limits, they respond accordingly. Perhaps nowhere is Trump's departure from conventional wisdom more evident than in Iran policy. His coordination with Israel on strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities in July set back Tehran's nuclear program by up to two years according to Pentagon officials cited by Reuters — a more concrete achievement than decades of sanctions and diplomatic engagement that was slow-walking Tehran to having a nuclear bomb. This wasn't reckless escalation — it was calculated deterrence after years of failed accommodation strategies that spanned multiple administrations. Iran's subsequent diplomatic overtures to European partners suggest the strikes achieved their intended effect. Where traditional approaches allowed Iran's regional influence to grow unchecked, Trump's decisive action has forced Tehran to recalculate its strategic position. The success challenges the foreign policy establishment's preference for extended diplomatic processes over direct action. Sometimes, as Trump demonstrates, credible threats require credible follow-through. Immigration policy demonstrates another area where Trump's approach has succeeded. New agreements with Mexico and Central American nations include enhanced enforcement provisions and expanded return protocols, contributing to a more than 90 percent reduction in detected border crossings in May compared to the previous year, according to Department of Homeland Security data. The key difference lies in leverage. Trump used trade access and visa negotiations to secure these commitments, demonstrating that America's economic power can be an effective diplomatic tool. Mexico agreed to deploy additional forces along its southern border in exchange for streamlined trade procedures — a classic win-win arrangement that Biden's team never successfully negotiated. This success highlights a broader truth about international relations: Countries respond to clear incentives and consequences. When America articulates its interests clearly and backs them with appropriate leverage, even reluctant partners find ways to cooperate. Trump's approach to Africa represents a fundamental departure from the aid-focused diplomacy that characterized previous administrations. Rather than continental tours filled with promises of development assistance, Trump has hosted five African leaders at the White House in recent months, emphasizing trade and investment opportunities. This shift addresses a critical gap in American foreign policy. While recent presidents maintained traditional approaches that often created dependency relationships, Trump is building partnerships based on mutual economic interest. Early agreements with Liberia and Senegal focus on critical mineral extraction and energy partnerships — arrangements that benefit both American businesses and African development. The message is clear: America seeks partners, not dependents. By reframing relationships around mutual economic interest rather than charity, Trump is building more sustainable and dignified partnerships. Perhaps most surprisingly, Trump's tough approach has yielded diplomatic breakthroughs that eluded his predecessor. In late June, he hosted talks between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo that produced a cease-fire agreement including troop withdrawals and commitments to joint economic development. The success came from Trump's willingness to use America's full diplomatic and economic weight — not to lecture, but to incentivize. This contrasts sharply with Biden's reactive approach to international crises, which often left the U.S. struggling to respond effectively to fast-moving global events. As we assess these first six months, the question isn't whether Trump's methods conform to diplomatic norms — it's whether they work. The evidence suggests they do. In a world where traditional institutions struggle to address complex challenges, Trump's transactional approach offers a compelling alternative. His first six months suggest that sometimes bold action succeeds where diplomatic convention fails. Kurt Davis Jr. is a Millennium Fellow at the Atlantic Council and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also an advisor to private, public, and state-owned companies and their boards as well as creditors across the globe on a range of transactions.
Time Magazine
24 minutes ago
- Time Magazine
House Panel Defies Trump in Vote to Subpoena Epstein Files
The House Oversight Committee is preparing to subpoena the Justice Department for its files related to the sex trafficking investigation into the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, after three Republicans broke with their party to join Democrats to vote on the matter. In an 8-to-2 vote late Wednesday, the panel's Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee approved the motion to compel the release of records, a rare moment of bipartisan agreement regarding an investigation that has long been shrouded in mystery. The vote came amid a tense week in which Speaker Mike Johnson abruptly announced he was sending lawmakers home a day early for its five-week recess—an apparent move to avoid precisely this kind of politically fraught vote involving Epstein. But Oversight Committee Democrats, led by Rep. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, put together a last-minute effort to force Republicans to go on the record. Joining Democrats in the vote were GOP Reps. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, and Brian Jack of Georgia. Subcommittee Chairman Clay Higgins of Louisiana and Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona were the only no votes. The subpoena directs the Justice Department to hand over investigative materials, with redactions to protect victims' identities and exclude any imagery depicting child sexual abuse. The documents would be reviewed by the committee internally, not released publicly. 'The American people deserve transparency and accountability,' Lee wrote on X, 'and [Epstein's] victims deserve justice. The wealthy and powerful are not above the law.' The committee also issued subpoenas for a deposition from Ghislaine Maxwell—Epstein's longtime confidante who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking—and requested testimony from a sweeping list of political and law enforcement figures. Among them: former President Bill Clinton and Donald Trump's former attorneys general, as well as former FBI directors James Comey and Robert Mueller. While Trump has long been at the center of Epstein-related speculation, he has recently tried to distance himself from the issue, dismissing the continued focus on Epstein as 'bulls---.' On the campaign trail, Trump and his surrogates previously claimed they would be willing to investigate Epstein's 'client list,' but later resisted formal efforts to obtain more information. The issue has sharply divided Republicans. Some of Trump's most vocal allies accuse his Administration of falling short of its promises, while others fear the files include damaging disclosures involving Trump. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump in May that his name appeared multiple times in Department of Justice documents about Epstein, citing senior Administration officials. House Democratic leaders have seized on the internal rift. 'Speaker Johnson is definitely facilitating a cover up of epic proportions by shutting down Congress early to avoid voting on the Epstein files,' Rep. Ted Lieu of California, vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, tells TIME. 'And we know Trump is all over the released Epstein files, and now we know he's all over the unreleased Epstein files, so Speaker Johnson should listen to the will of the American people instead of covering up for Donald Trump.' Even some Republicans who supported the subpoena effort tried to narrow its scope. Rep. Mace successfully added language requiring the Justice Department to include any communications with former President Joe Biden about Epstein and to shield the identities of victims. Democrats, however, blocked a GOP attempt to limit the subpoena to only information deemed 'credible.' The Justice Department has said it continues to review files from the Epstein investigation but maintains that no 'client list' has been found and that there is no credible evidence Epstein blackmailed powerful individuals.
