Daybreak, Utah News

High density housing is on the rise throughout Salt Lake County and has been for the past 10 years, but what affect has it had on the housing market, like single-family homes? The University of Utah did a study on this subject and found that the increase in high density housing actually increased the value of single-family homes.  The study concluded that Salt Lake County homes that were located within .5miles of new apartment complexes experienced a 10% annual increase in the average value.  This was in comparison to single-family homes located further away from apartment projects. The research also narrowed the findings into four quadrants and found that the most value occurred in "West" Salt Lake Country, which is comprised of Rose Park, West Valley City, Kearns, Taylorsville, and Magna.  The increased value in that area was 13.7%. The biggest discrepancy was in the "Early Suburbs" or Northwestern portion of the county, which includes Sugar House, South Salt Lake, Millcreek, Holladay, and Murray.  The discrepancy was due to this area having some of the most expensive and largest homes.  Homes located in the Southeast area of Salt Lake County, such as Midvale, Cottonwood Heights, Sandy, and Draper, that were located MORE than .5 miles from high density housing experienced a higher annual property value increase of 7.3%. 

Although high density housing has had a positive impact on single-family housing, it does not alleviate the concern that many residents have, including infrastructure, affordable housing, and the desire for a wider range of housing styles.  With a shortage of available buildable land in the county, high density housing is one solution to address the housing shortage.