Ogden City being “proactive” in finding housing solutions

OGDEN, Utah — As the housing crisis continues, Ogden is attempting to relieve its current and future residents.

The city is proposing a change to the current planning and zoning ordinance to allow for older hotels and motels to be converted into multi-family housing units.

Ogden City Council member Richard Hyer said that the city is looking at the remaining open space to develop single-family homes, including an 18-acre plot of land from the school district.

The city plans to use land from the school district for affordable housing.

Residents are critical of this move. Construction from consistent housing developments has created a lot of jobs, but also a lot of traffic and a lack of community open space.

Due to the outcry from residents, the city passed a resolution for a 90-day investigation period to decide if they will go through with the land purchase.

“We all know that that growth is coming and we just need to be proactive in finding those areas,” said Hyer.

Growing need for Ogden housing

As of last September, Ogden possessed 65% of low-income housing in Weber County and it doesn’t sound like they have any plans on slowing down. 

And while Ogden holds 65% of affordable housing in Weber County, it only houses 35% of residents.

“We continue to have children and we’d like them to live somewhere around us. So each community kind of needs to be responsible for allowing for the growth that we’re creating.”

The Weber Area Council of Government hopes to help communities alter their city plans to adapt to the expected growth in the county. A housing master plan is part of the government’s process to get there.

 Further investigation and research will determine the best use of the remaining land in the city.

“Ogden is being largely built out. I mean we’ve got some little postage-stamp pieces of land around but we don’t have a lot of open ground anymore. So you know, you can only grow to the extent that you have the space,” Hyer said.

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• Downtown Ogden expansion project begins finalizing plans