- Utah launched the Division of Housing and Community Development to streamline housing efforts.
- Housing adviser Steve Waldrip will oversee the new division as state housing coordinator.
- Gov. Spencer Cox also named Katherine Potter as commissioner of the Utah Department of Cultural and Community Engagement.
SALT LAKE CITY — The state of Utah officially launched its Division of Housing and Community Development on Wednesday, allowing existing and new housing programs and initiatives to combine under a single unit.
The new division was created by HB68 during the 2026 legislative session with the goal of aligning housing policy, state investments and economic development.
Steve Waldrip, who currently serves as senior advisor for housing strategy for Gov. Spencer Cox, will maintain his position while taking on the additional responsibilities of state housing coordinator. Waldrip's new role will focus on coordinating various housing programs across the state to ensure they align with the governor's new Utah Elevated economic development plan.
"Housing and economic opportunity are inseparable," Waldrip said in a news release. "By bringing housing policy, programs and investments together under one roof, we can better support communities across Utah as they address local housing needs and advance the governor's ambitious goals, including the governor's goal of facilitating the construction of starter homes for Utah families."
Housing has long been a top issue for Utah's Republican governor, who set the goal of building 35,000 new starter homes by the end of his second term. Speaking at the Ivory Housing Summit last fall, Waldrip and Cox both acknowledged that the goal faces serious headwinds as inflation and high interest rates have made building more difficult.
And the problem of Utah's housing crunch is unlikely to go away anytime soon. Utah could face a housing shortage of 235,000 homes three decades from now, according to a study presented to state lawmakers last year.
"Housing is foundational to opportunity," Cox said Wednesday in a news release. "If young families, teachers, first responders and the people who keep our economy running can't afford to live in the communities they serve, our long-term prosperity is at risk."
He said the state's new division will help "keep the Utah dream within reach for the next generation."
The new housing division is part of the Governor's Office of Economic Development. It will oversee several programs, including the Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund and the Economic Revitalization and Investment Fund. The division will also help implement initiatives approved by lawmakers such as the State Housing Infrastructure Partnership Fund and Board, a $100 million fund to help local governments pay for infrastructure upgrades needed to support more housing.
"Utah's continued economic success depends on our ability to ensure housing opportunities keep pace with our momentum," said Jefferson Moss, commissioner of the economic development office. "Aligning housing and community development efforts within GOED will strengthen coordination across state government and help communities make strategic investments that support both economic prosperity and long-term quality of life."
Cox names new community engagement head
The governor on Wednesday also named Katherine Potter to serve as the commissioner of the Utah Department of Cultural and Community Engagement, pending her approval by the state Senate. Potter has served as the deputy commissioner for the past six years, according to the governor's office.
"Kat Potter has spent her career helping cultural, civic and nonprofit institutions turn good ideas into strong execution," Cox said. "She knows CCE's work, she knows the partners who make it possible and she has the leadership this department needs as Utah tells its story during the America250 era. We are grateful for her willingness to step into this role."
Potter has helped oversee nine divisions within the department. Prior to working for the state, she held leadership roles with arts organizations in New York City and Chicago, and served as the associate director of admission at Rowland Hall, a private school in Salt Lake City.
She helped develop, fundraise for and open the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City in 2016.
"Utah's culture, history, service and civil life belong to all of us," Potter said. "I'm honored to continue serving CCE and grateful to work alongside division leaders, staff and partners who care deeply about the people and places that make Utah home."
