Most of the action on housing/land use bills is happening behind the scenes right now, so there’s not much timely to report.  Just suffice it to say, there will be more stuff coming!

There are a few media reports of interest.  Most notable is this story in the DesNews titled Lawmakers tackle housing shortage via regulatory reform, not new funding.  The story quotes legislative sources as saying that there will be little money in this tight fiscal session to put towards housing programs:

Cox asked lawmakers to fund a $150 million Utah First Homes program to help the state build 35,000 starter homes by 2028.

The money would have been used to expand last year’s First-time Homebuyer Assistance Program, shore up the state infrastructure bank, as well as prop up other programs subsidizing home purchases and starter home innovation.

However, Cox’s proposals were based on the assumption that lawmakers would “change statute” to redirect money earmarked in 2023 for transportation and use it for housing programs, something state legislators are unwilling to do, according to Schultz.

“We don’t have the amount of money available to us that the governor had in his budget,” he said, later adding, “because those dollar amounts were dedicated already towards transportation.”

Instead, the emphasis is more on making changes to local land use policies and regulations:

Earlier this month, in response to questions about how the Legislature would work to increase affordable homes in the state without big spending increases, Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, told reporters that addressing the regulatory piece of the puzzle can be just as effective, and more long-lasting, than subsidizing construction or infrastructure costs.

“Refining what that approval process looks like and how can we streamline some of it is probably one of the best things that we can do,” Schultz said during a media availability.

The story also talks about a lot of the details of the LUTF/CHA/UEOC bills.

There has also been a media call-out on the mining/gravel bills.  KUTV did this story on it, Utah lawmakers revisit mining regulation bill:

Utah lawmakers are revisiting the idea of loosening regulations to allow mines to expand, aiming to reduce the cost of sand and gravel, which are vital for the state’s development and growth. However, critics argue it would undermine local authority and infringe on property owners’ rights. A similar bill filed in the Senate earlier in the session died, but the new legislation has been introduced in the House.

The two bills referred to are S.B. 172 Protection Areas Revisions and H.B. 502 Critical Infrastructure and Mining.  The Deseret News editorial board put out an editorial against both bills, saying:

No one should doubt the need for rock quarries in order to keep up with the steady population growth along the Wasatch Front. The rock aggregate products that come from such quarries are required for home construction, sidewalks, highways and many other things that people rely on in order to live and prosper.

But it should be equally obvious that the siting of these quarries must be delicately balanced against the health, safety and environmental needs of nearby residents.

The editorial board goes on to say:

To consider such bills during the state’s yearly 45-day legislative session is far too rushed. Local governments ought to be able to regulate operations that would affect the health and safety of nearby residents.

Such a statement is obviously accurate and valid, but discussions have been on-going between local governments and gravel operators for a considerable time and, apparently, no agreements have been reached.  The editorial concludes:

We are not anti-mining. Rock aggregate extraction is needed, as will be mineral mining in the future. But these bills are tilting the wrong way…

Worth a read.  And, obviously, more to come.