This story is part of The Salt Lake Tribune’s ongoing commitment to identify solutions to Utah’s biggest challenges through the work of the Innovation Lab.
Try to get through a day of news and conversation without landing on the high cost of housing in Utah. While the talk often hovers around home ownership, the tough rental market is also a major part of these discussions.
And no wonder. Rent prices along the Wasatch Front jumped by 11% annually between 2020 and 2022, according to September 2022 data from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. By comparison, rental rates climbed 2.6% annually between 2010 and 2020. Home ownership, made even more challenging with rising interest rates, can seem a distant dream for many renters.
Whether it’s inflation, interest rate hikes, neighborhood gentrification or COVID-era migration to Utah, there are many forces affecting the market. Many more people are looking to rent, taking on extra roommates to balance out the cost or are renting for a much longer time than they planned for.
So what can be done?
Find out during what promises to be a lively, solutions-oriented discussion about being a renter in Utah, co-hosted by The Salt Lake Tribune and the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.
This discussion is the first in the “Storytelling through Data Forum” series. The quarterly series will focus on data-grounded conversations critical to Utahns’ quality of life.
Salt Lake Tribune Executive Editor Lauren Gustus will moderate. She’ll be joined by four experts. Please bring your questions.
What: Storytelling through Data Forum Series on “Utah’s Rental Market”
When: Wednesday, February 22, 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Where: University of Utah ‘s Thomas S. Monson Center, 411 East South Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
Who: State Sen. Nate Blouin, D-Millcreek
Dan Lofgren, President and CEO, Cowboy Partners
Tara Rollins, Executive Director, Utah Housing Coalition
Dejan Eskic, Senior Research Fellow, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
Please join us and RSVP so we can count on you.
