Your Daily Guide

Utahns consistently rank housing affordability as a top issue, and the annual "State of the State's Housing Market" analysis from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute gives us the lay of the land. The report drops later this morning, but City Cast Salt Lake got a sneak peek. Surprise, surprise: Utah is still one of the most expensive markets in the country.

• The median sale price for a home is up $20K, from $500,000 to $520,000 in the past year. Homeownership rates are down from a decade ago, especially for people younger than 35. Interestingly, though, the income needed to buy a home fell slightly.
• Renting is a mixed bag, with prices for larger units, like townhomes and single-family homes, going up and apartments going down. Researchers chalk the disparity up to a boom in apartment construction. In fact, property owners want people to move in so badly they're sweetening the deal with months of free rent, gift cards, and ice cream makers. [Salt Lake Tribune]
• Utah has taken a supply/demand approach to affordability. The idea is you can decrease costs by increasing housing stock. In that vein, state leaders seem ready to flex some muscle by requiring cities to allow smaller homes to be built on small lots. That seems like a solid strategy; the Gardner housing report specifically notes that "as newer homes become more affordable, they tend to be smaller with smaller lot sizes." [Building Salt Lake]
• Where does Utah's housing market go from here? We grill the report's author on today's podcast. [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]

Does the University of Utah Plan to Cut Jobs?

A University of Utah blog post on the school’s “modernization effort” includes this line: “University leaders expect the U’s approximately 5,700-person, non-faculty and non-clinical (health care) workforce to become smaller over the next year — by 5 to 15%, or 285 to 855 positions — as work is consolidated, simplified or eliminated.” [@theU]

Utah Is the 3rd Happiest State

We’re on the podium! WalletHub ranked Utah the third-happiest state in America, citing our high volunteer rate, low divorce rate, and reasonable work hours. We also got high marks for “adequate sleep.” [WalletHub]

The Cost of Toxic Dust

The Great Salt Lake is shrinking, and there is toxic dust in the lake bed. Now, a new study from researchers in Texas and California finds the effects of that dust blowing into Salt Lake City could incur over $2 billion a year in healthcare costs — from ER visits to shortened lifespans. And that’s a conservative estimate. [FOX 13]

Kokanee Salmon Are Running

The best thing about autumn in Utah is the kokanee salmon run. If you’re looking for something marvelous to do this month, see the bright red fish splash their way upstream at various water crossings around our state. [Utah Division of Wildlife Resources]