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- Salt Lake City launched a Tenant Resource Center and Relocation Assistance Fund.
- These initiatives aim to support renters, prevent displacement and provide financial aid.
- Mayor Erin Mendenhall emphasizes stable, affordable housing as essential for residents.
SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City and the Community Development Corporation of Utah have launched two new programs to support renters one year after the city adopted Thriving in Place, a plan meant to address and prevent displacement.
The Tenant Resource Center and the Relocation Assistance Fund for Tenants were named in Salt Lake City's multifaceted plan to increase affordable housing, mitigate involuntary displacement and reduce homelessness. It's the second phase of the Thriving in Place study, which was commissioned by the city to gather data on displacement and gentrification in the area. The first phase of the study included documentation of community assets, community outreach and analyses of housing trends.
The Salt Lake City Council funded the Thriving in Place study in June 2020, and early results were revealed in July 2022. Results of the first phase showed that 81% of community respondents have moderate to very high concerns about gentrification and displacement.
The Tenant Resource Center will provide personalized assistance to renters in Salt Lake City, which ranges from eviction assistance, affordable housing resources and support with basic needs such as food or child care. The Relocation Assistance Fund will provide financial aid to renters displaced amid demolition, substantial renovations, conversion of rental units for other uses, or the end of rent or income restrictions.
"Every Salt Laker deserves access to stable, affordable housing," Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a news release. "Through our new Tenant Resource Center and RAFT program, we're building a stronger foundation of support for our residents, offering vital resources to renters, and working to ensure Salt Lake City remains a welcoming and inclusive place to call home."
To qualify for help, renters must earn 80% or less than the area median income. The Tenant Resource Center will be open to all Salt Lake City renters in need of support but will prioritize low-income households.
The fund can cover things from deposits, first and last months' rent and application fees. Salt Lake City has allocated $92,000 for the Tenant Resource Center pilot program and $180,000 for the relocation fund program.
"As Salt Lake City continues to grow, it's essential we respond to critical housing needs in our community," Salt Lake City Council Chairwoman Victoria Petro said in the release. "With most residents renting, nearly half spending more than they should on housing costs, and 30% at risk of displacement, resources like the Tenant Resource Center provide renters with centralized, accessible support. This is an important step in our ongoing commitment to making Salt Lake City affordable and welcoming for all."
Other projects launched by Salt Lake City this year include a Consumer Protection Complaint Portal, easing requirements on accessory dwelling units, and adopting affordable housing incentives along with a Community Benefit Policy ordinance.
The Thriving in Place plan, which has guided several recent initiatives, consists of six interrelated goals and 22 strategic priorities. The goals are broken into "outcome goals" and "supportive goals."
The goals and some of their strategic priorities include:
- Protect the most vulnerable from displacement: Develop a tenant relocation assistance program; adopt a displaced tenants preference policy; create and expand tenant resources along with a tenant resource center; and promote affordable living and better jobs.
- Preserve affordable housing: Develop and adopt a community benefit policy; acquire and rehabilitate unsubsidized housing; invest in community land trust models; and address short-term rentals' impact on housing.
- Produce more housing, especially affordable housing: Adopt the affordable housing incentives policy; create more diverse housing choices in all areas; and utilize publicly owned property.
- Expand capacity for tenant support and affordable housing: Develop new funding sources; leverage existing resources; and define indicators to track displacement and data systems to track progress.
- Partner and collaborate to maximize impact: Form a city implementation team; work with partners to convene a regional anti-displacement coalition; and launch an ongoing community partnership for high-risk areas.
- Advocate for tenants at the state level: Work to advance tenant rights and affordable housing at the state level.
For more information, visit slc.gov/can/renters/.
