Utah
Construction underway on governor's goal to build 35,000 Utah starter homes
PLAIN CITY, Utah — Work is already underway to hit a new goal from Gov. Spencer Cox to create more affordable housing in Utah.
Thursday, during the governor’s State of the State address, he said he wants to build 35,000 starter homes in Utah over the next four years. The next day, the first builder began their work, and construction was already in progress.
Construction workers in Plain City on Friday afternoon, getting the new starter homes built. (KSL TV)
Twelve starter homes in Plain City are almost ready to go, according to Brad Jacobson, a realtor representing Nilson Homes. He said if Utah is going to hit the governor’s goal of 35,000 starter homes in four years, every builder in Utah needs to be on board.
“And maybe then some. It would have to be a massive undertaking, and we need the municipalities to work with us as well, to help us with the zoning, land, and entitlement, all the developers to make this possible,” Jacobson said.
Brad Jacobson showing KSL TV one of the finished starter homes in Plain City. (KSL TV)
Jed Nilson, owner of Nilson Homes, is currently building 300 to 350 houses yearly with a vision of better affordability.
“How do we make it so Utahns can afford to purchase a home in Utah?” Nilson said.
He said he and the governor collaborated on how to make more neighborhoods like the one in Plain City, with single-family detached homes of 1,000 to 1400 sq. feet, options for up to a two-car garage when finished, each fully landscaped, and a selling price as low as possible.
“We really want to have them down as low as $350K. We think we can get as low as $330K,” Nilson said Nilson.
Brad Jacobson inside of one of the finished starter homes in Plain City. (KSL TV)
Nilson Homes’ vision for more single-family homes happened to time out perfectly with the governor, giving them a head start. If they keep the same pace over the next four years, the governor needs at least 24 other builders building 350 homes yearly to pull off all 35,000 by the end of his term.
But for now, the first 12 are almost done — just 34,988 more to go.
Several of the starter homes under construction in Plain City. (KSL TV)