Utah News Interview Series Episode 2 with Jen Garner

Jen Garner explains her experience working in the homeless system and the ties with housing in Utah.

How did we get here?
1. Bad Data
a. Envision Utah and the Kem C Gardner institute has been projecting huge population growth
Crossover of legislators, developers, Board Members of The Point
Population in state from birth rate decline
https://gardner.utah.edu/news/utahs-fertility-rate-continues-to-drop-now-fourth-highest-in-the-nation/#:~:text=News%20Release-,Utah's%20fertility%20rate%20continues%20to%20drop%2C%20now%20fourth%20highest%20in,ranked%20highest%20in%20the%20country.

Majority growth is from out of state and immigration, net migration
https://www.abc4.com/news/wasatch-front/utahs-growth-remains-strong-thanks-to-people-from-out-of-state/#:~:text=SALT%20LAKE%20CITY%20(ABC4)%20%E2%80%94,the%20Beehive%20State's%20population%20increase.

2. Mandates forcing High Density Housing
a. 17% or lose funding as a city
b. Cities are not Unique https://ground.news/article/youre-not-unique-gov-cox-rips-utah-cities-on-housing-crisis-response
i. Building where land is expensive
ii.
3. Subsidized profiting
a. Low interest loans for developers building partial low income housing: https://treasurer.utah.gov/utahhomes/
b. $50 million down payment assistance in Utah ($20k for new builds, stackable with other programs like Utah Housing Corporation) https://senate.utah.gov/first-time-homebuyers-assistance-program-applications-available/
c. County programs (Davis $50K) CBP One App by Biden https://www.cbp.gov/about/mobile-apps-directory/cbpone

d. Section 8 housing vouchers
i. Housing first started in 2005
ii. Shelters housing New Americans
e. Protected commercial property taxes: https://le.utah.gov/~2024/bills/static/SB0030.html
f. CBP One App by Biden https://www.cbp.gov/about/mobile-apps-directory/cbpone
g. Increased property taxes (HB293 2018) https://le.utah.gov/~2018/bills/static/HB0293.html

4. Immigration that isn’t transparent
a. Going through NGOs – Tax payer funded, Section 8 qualified
i. Refugee resettlement health promotions current listing: https://ccsutah.applicantpro.com/jobs/
ii. Foster care for unaccompanied minors https://www.facebook.com/share/19hMPFQFwT/

b. Catholic Community Services was hiring for unaccompanied minor after school program coordinator and therapist
5. Increased funding of Schools 115% in 10 years
a. Blurred data McKinney Vento
b. Intergeneration poverty changed to at risk
c. Community Schools – beyond the role of education
6. Special districts (PIDS) that are their own taxing entities
What needs to happen:
Look back at historical data and projections. Get data from more than one source to find the actual data. Ask more questions. This includes the school districts. They claim FERPA protections, but data is easy to make anonymous.
Government agencies need to get back in their own lanes (state, County, City, etc).
Homelessness and mental health has been passed
It isn’t charity to take from taxpayers for non-profits