Summit County Housing Authority Explores Attainable Housing Voucher Pilot

The Summit County Housing Authority began formally exploring a voucher pilot for “attainable housing” on Feb. 24, a move officials say is intended to expand housing options for local workers in a market with a median home price near $1.7 million. Chair Jenn Lewis said the authority wants to “add more programs to help people thrive here,” and emphasized retaining families who “help the community be better and to grow.”

Executive director Maddy McDonough said most workers in the county earn between 30% and 50% of area median income, placing many households well below HUD’s 80% AMI threshold traditionally used for affordable housing. Summit County’s official AMI figures for 2025 list $118,000 for a one-person household and $134,900 for a two-person household. County guidance defines “attainable housing” as units priced for households making 81–150% of AMI, while “affordable housing” is tied to 80% of AMI; the differing definitions highlight a tension in local planning about who voucher programs should serve.

A cross-jurisdictional Housing Authority Exploration Committee has met weekly and held 17 meetings since inception to weigh legal and operational options, and on July 11, 2023 the committee returned to the Joint Council with a potential implementation timeline. Committee membership includes Chair Tana Toly, Vice Chair Canice Harte, PCMC Housing Development Manager Jason Glidden, Economic Development & Housing Director Jeffrey B. Jones, AICP, Elyse Kats, AICP, Summit County Attorney’s Office representative Helen E. Strachan, PCMC attorney Cate Brabson, Deputy City Manager Jennifer McGrath, and advisor Daniel Nackerman. The committee materials cite Utah Code §§ 35A-8-401(1)(b) and 35A-8-402(5) as authorities for creating a countywide housing authority and negotiating agreements with cities and towns.

Materials and stakeholder surveys compiled for the committee show near-universal support among partners for a regional authority with a broad toolkit: development and preservation of ownership and rental units, access to federal funding and voucher programs, and stewardship/compliance as a “central clearing house.” The report notes about half of respondents were familiar with housing authorities and nearly all who had worked with one reported positive experiences.

Specifics of the voucher pilot remain undefined in public documents. The authority’s exploration paper notes a voucher model but does not state whether it would be tenant-based or project-based, what AMI band it would target, or the funding mix. For comparison, an established Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher model used elsewhere provides a tenant-based subsidy for very low income households at or below 30% of AMI and requires units to meet housing quality standards; Summit County staff say they are studying other communities’ programs to determine best practices.

Local project and market data illustrate the need planners cite. A Summit County rental analysis finds the market undersupplied with low vacancy and sustained rent inflation; Frisco’s average rent is listed at $3,349 and Silverthorne’s average at $3,330. Development pipeline items include a USFS Administrative Site planned for 162 rental apartments in six three-story buildings and a Lake Hill Neighborhood RFQ/RFP process in which two interviewed firms were found infeasible because of high subsidy requests. Smith Ranch Apartments are fully occupied, and Housing Helps projects show four completed in 2025 with two more in progress.

County staff direct questions about program eligibility and the pilot to Economic Development and Housing Manager Madlyn McDonough at mmconough@summitcountyutah.gov or 435-615-3958. Summit County leaders say the coming weeks will focus on defining the pilot’s structure, target AMI bands, and funding sources so the authority can move from exploration toward implementation.