Housing Justice

Awareness & Understanding

In Salt Lake City, people are getting priced out of their homes — and it's not by accident. Housing justice is about understanding why that happens and what can change. Start by reading the Utah Housing Coalition's website (utahhousingcoalition.org) — they track affordable housing numbers across the state. Then watch "Why Is There a Housing Crisis?" on the YouTube channel Wendover Productions — they break it down clearly. Search "Salt Lake City affordable housing" on the Salt Lake Tribune website and read two recent articles. You're ready for the next step when you can explain at least two reasons why housing in Salt Lake has become less affordable over the past decade.

Research & Investigation

Go deeper into the data and the people affected. The Salt Lake City Housing and Neighborhood Development office (slc.gov/hand) publishes reports on affordable housing — find their latest one. Check out the National Low Income Housing Coalition (nlihc.org) for national context. Read r/SaltLakeCity on Reddit for firsthand community perspectives on housing costs. Look up what "Area Median Income" (AMI) means — it's how housing affordability is measured — and find Salt Lake County's current AMI on HUD's website (huduser.gov). You're ready for the next step when you can explain what AMI is and describe how housing affordability in Salt Lake compares to the national picture.

Planning & Preparation

Get involved with an organization working on this issue. Look up Neighborhood House (nhutah.org), the Utah Community Action Partnership (utahca.org), or the Road Home (theroadhome.org) — each works on housing stability in different ways. Contact one of them and ask how you can help: phone banking, data entry, community outreach, or event support. Attend a Salt Lake City Council meeting (find the schedule at slc.gov) where housing or zoning is on the agenda — these are public and free. You're ready for the next step when you've attended at least one public meeting or event and made contact with a housing organization.

Taking Action

Do something tangible. Options: write a letter to your city council member about a specific housing issue (find contacts at slc.gov/council), volunteer a shift at a housing organization, help collect signatures for a petition, or participate in a community survey. Whatever you choose, document it — take notes, photos (where allowed), or write a summary afterward. The Utah Housing Coalition sometimes organizes advocacy days at the Utah State Capitol — check their events calendar. You're ready for the next step when you've taken at least one concrete action and can describe what happened and what you learned from doing it.

Leadership & Expansion

Share what you know and bring others in. Give a five-minute talk at a school club, faith group, or neighborhood meeting about Salt Lake's housing situation — use the data you've gathered. Create a simple fact sheet or social media thread explaining one housing policy issue (like zoning reform or rent assistance). Look into the Wasatch Front Regional Council (wfrc.org) — they plan regional land use and transportation and hold public comment opportunities. You're ready for the next step when you've shared housing justice information with a group of at least five people and can answer basic follow-up questions they ask.

Impact & Reflection

Zoom out and assess. What did you do? Who did it reach? What would you do differently? Write a reflection of at least 300 words on what you learned about housing justice in Utah — include specific numbers, stories, or moments that stuck with you. Share it with the SLCTrips community or publish it somewhere public. If you want to keep going, look into affordable housing policy careers through the University of Utah's Metropolitan Research Center (mrc.utah.edu). You're ready for the next step when you've published or shared your reflection and can name one specific policy change you'd advocate for to improve housing in Salt Lake.