Jason Glidden, executive director of Mountainlands Community Housing Trust, told the Heber City Planning Commission on April 22 that a housing survey of large local employers generated roughly 480 responses and produced data the trust says can inform local policy.

The presentation outlined workforce housing demand and recommended policy tools to increase affordable rental and ownership options. Glidden said the survey — sent in August 2024 to employees of Wasatch County employers including the Wasatch School District, Heber City and Intermountain Health — found that 71% of respondents live in ZIP code 84032 and that the sample indicated a need the presenter estimated at about 400 affordable ownership units and 600 affordable rental units.

Glidden said median-income figures (area median income, or AMI) for Wasatch County rose sharply from 2024 to 2025 and that many prospective buyers fall above the 80% AMI threshold used in many affordable-program definitions. “When looking at the definition of affordable housing,” he said, “I would say that it was surprising that probably the majority, by slight amount, actually made over that 80% AMI.”

The presentation highlighted three drivers of housing need: population growth, workers commuting into the valley, and households that are cost-burdened (paying more than 30% of income on housing). Glidden said the survey sample included respondents with an average household size of about 2.65, an average AMI of roughly 94% in the sample, and that 59 households in the sample were cost-burdened. He described ownership barriers including down-payment needs and higher interest rates and recommended that ownership programs targeting lower-income households require greater subsidy.

Glidden and commissioners discussed unit types and policy tools. He said multifamily apartment construction is the most efficient approach for affordable rental units and benefits from federal subsidy tools such as low-income housing tax credits. For ownership, he suggested townhomes, smaller detached homes and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as ways to reduce per-unit land and infrastructure costs. He identified fee reductions, impact-fee waivers, zoning changes, land donations, property-tax rebates and public–private partnerships as levers local governments can use.

Commissioners said zoning changes and design strategies were among the most actionable items. Commissioner Dave Richards said he wants the commission to focus on “the zoning part of it.” Commissioner Tori Broughton emphasized the survey’s finding that many potential in-movers have smaller household sizes and said that suggested demand for smaller homes. Commissioner Robert McKinley and others expressed support for incentives to encourage “missing middle” housing types and for permitting smaller lot and unit types where appropriate.

Glidden said the Wasatch County Housing Authority is beginning a subcommittee to pursue regional coordination and next steps. Commissioners asked staff to consider how proposed overlay zones and zoning changes under discussion might support the housing tools Glidden outlined.

Ending: Commissioners thanked the presenter and noted the item would inform further local zoning conversations, including a longer review of the Central Heber overlay matter that was on the same meeting agenda. No formal city action was taken on the housing presentation itself; it was received as information and used to inform later zoning discussions.