REALTOR® voices are a crucial element in the fight to preserve the American Dream of homeownership on Utah’s Capitol hill. This year we want to get homeownership in Utah back on track by ensuring good governance, increasing housing supply, and protecting private property rights. Our elected officials rely on your knowledge, your expertise, and your stories to help them make informed decisions. 

Send a pre-written email to the Governor today and encourage him to fight for homeownership by signing the following bills into law:

Encouraging good governance. Ensuring our government systems and the programs they create are productive, successful, and meeting the needs of Utahns, is integral to improving our housing market. The following bills address the actions of government entities:

• HB 37 Utah Housing Amendments – Rep. Jim Dunnigan: This bill authorizes a cities and counties to implement a density overlay and directs the Commission on Affordable Housing to make regional strategic plans. It also gathers more data on the Moderate Income Housing Plans across the state to better inform future legislation. SUPPORT
• HB 256 Municipal Zoning Amendments – Rep. Neil Walter: This bill strikes the right balance between protecting private property rights and the ability of cities to enforce short-term rental regulation. SUPPORT
   

Increasing housing supply and reducing production barriers. Utah has a critical housing supply shortage. The current lack of available homes, combined with time-consuming, expensive, and redundant regulation continue to exacerbate the housing gap in Utah. The following bills work to increase housing supply:

• HB 368 Local Land Use Amendments – Rep. Stephen Whyte: This bill is a Land Use Task Force Consensus bill and addresses plan reviews, public hearing requirements, landscaping, transferable development rights, and identical plan reviews to make development more efficient. SUPPORT
• SB 181 Housing Affordability Amendments – Sen. Lincoln Fillmore: This bill directs municipalities to address several elements of the building process that will increase the efficiency of affordable housing development. SUPPORT
• SB 262 Housing Affordability Modifications – Sen. Lincoln Fillmore: This bill creates the option for a municipality to create a residential density overlay for the development of single-family dwellings on small lots and diverse housing options. SUPPORT

Protecting the rights of private property owners. The ability of private property owners to determine the highest and best use of their land is a fundamental right. These bills impact the ability of a homeowner to exercise their property rights:

• SB 55 Unauthorized Use of Real Property Amendments – Sen. Heidi Balderree: This bill allows a property owner to request law enforcement remove a squatter from a residential dwelling and makes fraudulent sale or rental of a residential property a second-degree felony. SUPPORT

Take Action TODAY and urge Governor Cox to Fight for Homeownership by signing these bills into law!