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Gov. Cox says the Trump administration just changed the game on affordable housing in Utah. Here’s how

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Gov. Cox says the Trump administration just changed the game on affordable housing in Utah. Here’s how


  • Trump cabinet officials announced an effort to give federal lands to states for affordable housing projects.
  • Gov. Cox praised the initiative as the biggest step federal officials could take to increase housing supply.
  • There are nearly 220,000 acres of federally controlled land within Utah city boundaries.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox heralded a Trump administration decision to use some federal lands for residential developments as the biggest change Washington, D.C., could make to address the nation’s housing affordability crisis.

On Monday, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who oversees the management of federal lands, and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, who oversees affordable housing programs, announced a new partnership to identify underutilized lands for “tailored housing programs with guidance from states and localities.”

“This is by far the most significant action the federal government can take to make housing less expensive,” Cox told the Deseret News in a statement. “This effort will help ensure more Utah families have a shot at the American dream.”

The new federal initiative, which closely mirrors the HOUSES Act introduced by Utah Sen. Mike Lee, aims to simplify the land transfer process and promote housing-friendly policies that take into account important environmental considerations, according to the announcement posted on X.

Some criticized the proposal, saying it would sacrifice public access to federal lands for private development. But it attracted praise from voices on both sides of the aisle who see the amount of federally controlled lands in the West as being in tension with housing supply.

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How much of Utah is federal lands?

Nearly 65% of Utah is owned and managed by the federal government. No other state lacks as much control of its territory with the exception of Nevada. Many states in the Midwest and on the East Coast have less than 4% of their land controlled by federal agencies.

In January, Cox’s senior adviser on housing affordability, Steve Waldrip, called the idea of opening up federal lands for home construction “a great solution” to Utah’s housing crisis that has seen the median house price explode to at least five times the median household income in 60% of the state.

Population growth is currently outpacing construction by around 6,000 units a year in Utah, Waldrip said. If this trend continues, last year’s shortage of 37,000 homes could grow to 45,000 homes over the course of 2025.

Much of this shortage is caused by the high cost of construction supplies, infrastructure and land. Meanwhile, 217,000 acres within Utah city boundaries, and 650,000 acres within a mile outside of city limits, is owned and managed by the Bureau of Land Management or the National Forest Service, Waldrip said.

On Wednesday, Cox reiterated that removing federal obstacles to building on the thousands of acres of federal land along the Wasatch Front will help to increase housing supply and decrease costs for Utahns.

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“By responsibly identifying underused federal properties and streamlining the regulatory process, this initiative will cut through the red tape that has slowed down housing development for far too long,” Cox said.

But if municipalities could build on this land they would still be faced with the problem of massive infrastructure needs, including new roads and plumbing, that would need innovative funding mechanisms with the state’s help, according to Waldrip.

Mike Lee’s HOUSES Act

Utah’s senior senator took Monday’s announcement as an opportunity to promote a novel piece of legislation he has pushed for the last three years.

Lee’s Helping Open Underutilized Space to Ensure Shelter — or HOUSES — Act, would allow municipalities to purchase federally managed land touching city limits for the purpose of developing affordable homes.

“The Houses Act would give hardworking Americans access to affordable, single-family housing by opening up unused federal land in or near municipalities for that purpose,” Lee said in a post resharing Burgum and Turner’s video.

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Lee’s proposal has received repeated praise from Cox and state lawmakers but has not had much luck in congressional committees. But a source familiar with Capitol conversations said Lee is expected to work with the administration on advancing the use of federal lands for single-family housing along the lines of his HOUSES Act.

Utah’s Legislature passed a resolution in support of Lee’s bill during the 2024 legislative session. In August, the state announced a landmark lawsuit asking the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether the federal government has constitutional authority to maintain unappropriated public lands in the state against the state’s wishes.

The Supreme Court refused to hear Utah’s case in January. But Cox and Utah Attorney General Derek Brown announced they will continue their efforts to control more of Utah’s public lands with a lawsuit in federal district court.



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Here are the new and returning elected leaders in Utah County

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Here are the new and returning elected leaders in Utah County


OREM The first wave of results from the 2025 general municipal election is signaling several political shake-ups, as many cities will have new mayors replacing leaders who decided it was time to step down — and in some cases, incumbents who were defeated by their challengers.

Here are the results of some of the biggest races in Utah’s second-most populous county:

Vineyard

In preliminary results Tuesday night, Zack Stratton, an entrepreneur and businessman, had received 58% of the vote toward becoming the city’s next mayor. City Councilwoman Mardi Sifuentes trails Stratton with 41% of the votes.

Julie Fullmer has been the mayor of Vineyard for the last eight years. But she has faced some pushback from adherents of City Councilman Jacob Holdaway, who claims she is deceptive and corrupt. Fullmer, however, has said Holdaway has been combative and slowed progress in the city.

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Fullmer previously announced she would not be running for reelection this year, opening the door to significant change in the small city.

Sifuentes has served with Fullmer for several years now, and Stratton is backed by Holdaway. A Stratton win could mean a shift in the dynamic among City Council members as well as other changes within the growing city.

Vineyard residents were also tasked with electing an additional council member after 74% of voters favored Proposition 10 in last year’s election, which adjusted the city’s government structure by adding an additional council position.

In the race for the new seat, Parker McCumber was leading with 21% of the vote Tuesday night, followed by Jacob Wood with 20.6% of the vote and David Lauret with 20.2% in the unofficial results. Current Councilman Brett Clawson was trailing with nearly 14% of the vote, and Utah County administrator Ezra Nair, who is also vying for the role, had 12.8% of the vote.

Orem

In Orem, Mayor David Young is running again. Young ran on the idea of making Orem “Family City USA,” with a strong emphasis on opposition to high-density housing. But his time as the city’s mayor may be coming to an end.

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Tuesday night’s preliminary results show Young’s opponent, Karen McCandless, outpacing the incumbent with 52% of the votes to his 47%.

McCandless is CEO of Community Action Services and Food Bank. She previously served on Orem’s City Council from 2001 to 2014.

As mayor, Young has pushed for an Orem-only school, which was ultimately shot down by voters. He also faced some public scrutiny when his son was involved in a million-dollar fraud lawsuit in 2022. That lawsuit was resolved in December 2024 in an out-of-court settlement that the mayor was happy with, according to the mayor’s spokesman.

Three City Council seats are also up for grabs in Orem. Newcomer Quinn Mecham was leading the way in Tuesday’s unofficial results with 17.9% of the votes, followed by Doyle Mortimer (16.9%) and Angela Moulton (16.38%).

Current council members LaNae Millett and David Spencer were both trailing their opponents Tuesday night. Millett had 16.37% of the vote, and Spencer had 15.9%.

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Crystal Muhlestein, who serves as the chairwoman for House District 56 for the Utah County Republican Party, is also vying for a seat on the City Council. She had 16.2% of the vote on Tuesday night.

Provo

Mayor Michelle Kaufusi has been leading the city of Provo since 2018. Attempting a third term, she faced off against former Utah Rep. Marsha Judkins.

In a tight race, Kaufusi had 50.6% of the votes Tuesday night, but Judkins wasn’t far behind with 49.3%.

Provo residents are also voting on several seats on the City Council:

  • In the race for the citywide seat, current Councilwoman Katrice MacKay was up with 61.2% of the vote to Adam Shin’s 38.7%.
  • Two newcomers are vying for the District 2 seat in an extremely tight race. Early results show Jeff Whitlock ahead, with 50.13% of the vote, and Hannah Petersen right behind with 49.87%. The winner will replace current Councilman George Handley,
  • In the District 5 race, incumbent Councilwoman Rachel Whipple was outpacing newcomer Sam Blackburn with 67% of the vote to his 32%.

Eagle Mountain

Eagle Mountain is sure to see some change, as current Mayor Tom Westmoreland did not make it past the primary election, despite being endorsed by both Gov. Spencer Cox and former state Rep. Phil Lyman. This outcome may have stemmed from the city considering changing code to allow for a nuclear power plant to be built in Eagle Mountain, which residents vehemently disagreed with.

Council members Melissa Clark and Jared R. Gray faced off for the open position. In another tight race, Gray had 52.55% of the votes to Clark’s 47.45% Tuesday night.

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Other elections of note

Wade Menlove is running unopposed to be the first mayor of Spring Lake, a newly incorporated town situated between Payson and Santaquin.

In the race for Spring Lake’s town council, two candidates will be selected to serve four-year terms. David Charles was in the lead with 32% of the vote Tuesday, followed by Joy Benson with 29%.

Two candidates are also being selected to serve two-year terms on the Town Council. Robert Marsh was leading the way with 31% of the votes, with Sharon Bascom with 29% Tuesday night.

In the north end of the county, Lehi will also have a new mayor, as current Mayor Mark Johnson did not run for a third term. Councilwoman Paige Albrecht is vying for the spot to fill his shoes, facing off against newcomer Paul Binns. The race was tight Tuesday night, with Binns in the lead at 52.07% and Albrecht at 47.93%.

In a similar situation, Pleasant Grove Mayor Guy Fugal did not throw his hat in the ring this year. Two council members, Eric Jensen and Cyd Lemone, faced off for the seat. Jensen was in the lead with 57.87% of the votes, with Lemons trailing at 42.13%.

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A full list of Utah County results can be found on the state’s election website.



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Arizona State begins season at home against Southern Utah

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Arizona State begins season at home against Southern Utah


Southern Utah Thunderbirds at Arizona State Sun Devils

Tempe, Arizona; Tuesday, 9 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Sun Devils -16.5; over/under is 150.5

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BOTTOM LINE: Arizona State opens the season at home against Southern Utah.

Arizona State went 13-20 overall with a 5-9 record at home during the 2024-25 season. The Sun Devils averaged 74.1 points per game while allowing opponents to score 76.8 last season.

Southern Utah finished 3-11 on the road and 12-19 overall a season ago. The Thunderbirds shot 42.5% from the field and 31.3% from 3-point range last season.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Jazz G Isaiah Collier Nearing Season Debut After Injury

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Jazz G Isaiah Collier Nearing Season Debut After Injury


It looks like Isaiah Collier is nearing his opportunity to make his official season debut for the Utah Jazz.

According to a team announcement, Isaiah Collier has been recalled from the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz’s G League affiliate.

Collier was with the Stars for a few days as part of his conditioning work of returning to play, following up from his hamstring injury that held him out of the Jazz’s training camp, preseason, and start of the regular season.

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However, now that Collier is off the Stars’ roster and back on for the Jazz, the second-year guard should be preparing to make his season debut in the very near future, perhaps during Utah’s current five-game road trip.

Jul 14, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA;  Utah Jazz guard Isaiah Collier (8) dribbles the ball against San Antonio Spurs forward Dav

Jul 14, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Utah Jazz guard Isaiah Collier (8) dribbles the ball against San Antonio Spurs forward David Jones-Garcia (25) during the first half of a NBA basketball game at the Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images / Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Collier was a welcomed bright spot of the Jazz’s roster upon arriving last year as the 29th-overall pick, making his presence felt in a major way pretty quickly within Utah’s backcourt.

In the 71 games he appeared in, Collier averaged 8.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists on just under 26 minutes a night, emerging as a nightly starter following the All-Star break, and being one of the best playmakers and facilitators on the roster.

Now for his second season in Utah, he’ll be entering a vastly different Jazz backcourt; one with no more Collin Sexton or Jordan Clarkson in the mix, and instead, currently being led by third-year guard Keyonte George and rookie Walt Clayton Jr.

As the Jazz continue their road of player development and expanding the roles of their young players this season, Collier should wind up having a solid role in Utah’s backcourt as the year goes on. As he returns initially, the year-two guard could find his place as a quality backup point guard within their already-young second unit. 

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His first chance to return to the Jazz’s lineup will come quickly against the Boston Celtics in TD Garden as part of Utah’s second leg of a back-to-back. But if not that soon, look for the following matchup vs. the Detroit Pistons as a potential date for Collier’s long-awaited addition back into the fold.

Be sure to bookmark Utah Jazz On SI and follow @JazzOnSI on X to stay up-to-date on daily Utah Jazz news, interviews, breakdowns and more!





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