Strategy 5 Principal Ernest Bleinberger conducted an affordable housing study for this Salt Lake City-area municipality which faced escalating land and housing values. The concern for the supply of affordable housing, and the need for the City of Draper to conform to certain state statutes led to the analysis being commissioned.
Draper has a finite amount of land (expandable only through annexation) and is located in a highly desirable section of the Salt Lake metropolitan area. A bordering state park and the steep slopes of the Wasatch Range further add to the constraints on building and have an escalating effect on residential values. The average home price in Draper is now (2025) above $700,000 with home listings in the millions not uncommon.
The results of the study showed that there is a shortage of affordable housing, but that a combination of market forces and public policy decisions could be employed to correct the imbalance. Basically, a refocus by developers and residents on the older central section of the City was seen to offer a number of opportunities. These could include, but not be limited to, investment in refurbishment of single-family homes, multi-family development, and zoning to allow for subdivisions that could produce duplex-type housing.
Subsequent to the firm’s work, Draper has come to host a number of new, affordable housing developments. These include the Veranda Apartments, Heritage at Draper, and the Ivy at Draper. For more information, please see www.affordablehousing.com/housing-authority-draper-ut/.
The work resulted in the adoption of an ordinance which encourages affordable housing and allowed Draper to meet associated Federal guidelines.