As proposed by Housing and Economic Development Director Jeff Jones, the agency would be governed by a board of five to seven people.
Board members would come from different regions of the county, and Jones suggests having at least one person who lives in affordable housing.
One of the board members may be a county councilmember. Opinions on that have diverged, and County Councilmember Canice Harte has expressed worries that could lead to political fights and inconsistency.
County Manager Shayne Scott said the opposite on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” Jan. 28: including a councilmember would maintain consistency.
Scott said, although the housing authority will be an independent organization, the county council will likely retain close oversight.
“The council will probably retain a lot of that control of housing in our community, but a housing authority can also bring groups together,” the county manager said. “This would be a way for, for example, Summit County to work with a Park City, or with a Kamas or with a Coalville.”
Scott said he means the council would control zoning and where housing is built.
The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah estimates Summit County has a nearly 1,700-unit housing deficit, but county staff have cast doubt on how up-to-date its data is.
The Park City Board of Realtors says the median home price in the Snyderville Basin is about $2.3 million; homes are more expensive closer to Park City and the Jordanelle Reservoir.
Jones previously said the housing authority’s first priorities would be publishing accurate housing market data, subsidizing utilities costs and helping employers find housing for workers.
“I think that the housing authority has to reflect the vision of the council, or we're not going to get anything done,” Scott said. “We're going to just propose things and they're going to fall in deaf ears.”
He said there’s been interest, but none of the cities are planning to make an agreement with the housing authority right off the bat.
“We have definitely had interest. We've made presentations to different municipalities in the county. I think it's a funding issue for most of those other other organizations,” Scott said.
The council may adopt bylaws for the fledgling organization at its meeting Jan. 29. After that, it may solicit board member applications.
