Salt Lake City Creates New Programs for Tenants

Everyone has the right to access affordable housing, and everyone, regardless of race, color, religion, economic status, age, etc., has the right to have a safe and stable space to stay.

To uphold these rights, the city of Salt Lake City has created two new programs aimed solely at providing essential support to all city residents living under rental agreements.

As the largest city in the state of Utah, Salt Lake City is home to thousands of people, of whom, according to consulted data, more than half live in rental properties. Due to this, the city currently has a rental housing deficit, which creates many challenges for residents and authorities seeking to provide their residents with the best opportunities for affordable and stable housing.

With more than half of the population living in rented housing, the demand for affordable rentals is very high, and there are increasingly fewer available properties, with prices continuing to rise considerably and irrationally across all areas of the city.

As this is a concerning issue in the city that often overwhelms the authorities’ capacity to address and provide effective solutions to the conflicts it generates, Salt Lake City has established two programs to provide essential support to tenants who are considered affected by business practices that are often ruthless and unfair.

The Tenant Resource Center, available to all city tenants seeking support, offers personalized assistance and connects tenants with essential services. These programs aim to provide assistance and financial help for relocations, affordable housing resources, and support for basic needs such as childcare and food.

Low incomes create economic burdens that are often difficult to bear and create significant gaps between the basic needs that all families must meet to live with dignity. A clear example of this occurs with the current high prices of housing, which forces them to face great difficulties because they must allocate a higher-than-normal percentage of their income to pay for a place to live.

Consulted data indicates that due to the high rental prices in Salt Lake City, nearly half of the tenants were being forced to allocate more than the normal percentage of their income to pay for affordable housing. As this is an unbearable burden, the vast majority of them are considered vulnerable tenants at risk of displacement.

However, it is not only the ability to pay that is affecting tenants in Salt Lake City; there are other causes leading to unjust displacements, such as the demolition of buildings, foreclosure processes that have affected many homeowners, the conversion of rental properties to other uses, renovations that prevent properties from being occupied while they are underway, home sales, etc.

For these types of situations, there is the Tenant Relocation Assistance Fund. Under this assistance program, displaced tenants who meet the requirements can receive funds to help cover expenses such as utility costs, first and last month’s rent, pet deposits, application fees for taking another rental, and other expenses that help make the relocation less detrimental for tenants.

The amount of assistance requested by the tenant affected by displacement will depend on the number of people in the household and the size of the new property they will occupy.

In partnership with the Utah Community Development Corporation, the second assistance program for tenants has been created, which seeks to create a connection between tenants and the various resources created exclusively for them.

Through various navigators, tenants will be able to access different resources and education. With their use, tenants will receive budgeting assistance that will help them understand their credit and the impact that obtaining another home will have on their income. With these navigators, tenants can also report any potential issues they have with their current housing, disputes with landlords, or issues that go beyond housing.

Both programs aim to alleviate and resolve the current conflicts of the thousands of tenants who wish to obtain a stable and affordable home within the Salt Lake City community.

Available foreclosures:

Salt Lake City: 120 homes available.

By Elías DaSilva | 27 de Noviembre de 2024.