Where: Ogden, Weber County, Utah

Problem: Weber, Utah is struggling to provide affordable housing to 20 percent of renters in the low-income category.

Solution: A $5.97 million RCAC loan will partially finance a 66-unit apartment complex’s construction, and various units will be reserved for low-income families, veterans, domestic abuse victims and families with developmental disabilities.

Neighborhood Housing Solutions (NHS) has addressed Utah’s housing needs since 1996. NHS administers housing programs, including self-help, down payment assistance, housing counseling, rehabilitation and repair and rental housing. NHS developed nearly 300 affordable rental properties and constructed more than 400 homes as part of its self-help housing program.

The town of Ogden in Weber County, Utah is 40 miles north of Salt Lake City. The median household income (MHI) in Ogden is $43,361, far below the county MHI of $62,036, and even further below the state’s MHI. Yet Weber County is one of the state’s fastest growing regions. From 2011 to 2017, more than 13,000 new residents were added to the US Census, and another 31,000 are expected to grow the county population to more than 275,000 by 2022. Many low-income renters find themselves priced out of Ogden’s market.

RCAC’s Loan Fund provided a $5.97 million loan, which in combination with financing from other agencies will secure the resources needed to begin construction on a 2.68-acre site for the Landing at Five Points Apartments project. Of the 66 units, 52 will be reserved for low-income households, and five reserved for families/individuals at 25 percent of Ogden’s average median income. In addition, there will be one unit set aside for domestic violence victims, two for families with developmental disabilities, two for veterans, and five for people experiencing homelessness.