UTAH SOCIAL CAPITAL SERIES Check out the other sections of the Utah Social Capital Series. Links will become live as reports are published Civic Engagement Social Trust Community Life Family Health Social Cohesion Focus on Future Generations Social Mobility Overall Index Social capital stands in the shadows of a wide variety of public policy and economic concerns. Low social capital levels often lead to poor economic and social outcomes, both for individuals and for populations. … Continued

Mending the Net: Exploring Homeless Service Gaps in Salt Lake County is the third report in the Utah Foundation’s Homelessness Series. It draws from a wide-ranging survey of homeless service providers to explore the overarching service gaps. In particular, the report identifies areas where there is the greatest need for service expansions or enhancements. It also explores whether adequate collaboration is occurring to ensure that the homeless service providers are functioning together as a system. … Continued

The “New Climate Economy” is an effort to tie economic strength to actions intended to reduce the impacts of climate change. Such efforts are taking place around the world. In the U.S., innovations and other measures from corporations, along with new policies and investments from the federal government, provide states with a range of opportunities to capitalize on the transition to an economy that prioritizes climate-focused strategies. This report, Going for the Green: How Utah … Continued

Part I: Priorities Survey Reveals Divergent Housing Affordability Concerns by Age, Political Viewpoint, Ethnicity Utah Foundation had asked about housing prices in its 2008, 2010 and 2012 Utah Priorities Project surveys but housing had never been one of the top 10 issues. However, housing affordability was the second most important issue to Utah voters in early 2020. With the emergence of the coronavirus, concerns about housing affordability dropped to 7th – with just under one-third … Continued

Utah has joined about a dozen states in exploring a new kind of revenue for road maintenance that charges drivers for miles driven, rather than fuel consumed. While many states have conducted research and pilot projects on road usage charges, Utah and Oregon are the only two states with currently operating programs. Measuring the Miles: Road Usage Charges in Utah examines the broader movement toward road usage charges among the states; how these charges can be … Continued

Beating the Odds: Post-Secondary Success for Adult, First-Generation and Lower-Income Students explores various means of promoting both student retention and completion of certificates and degrees. It focuses on subsets of students who have been less likely to attain higher levels of education and receive the benefits of that attainment. Among the findings of the new report: Utah’s population is changing. If the state’s post-secondary educational institutions do not respond to those changes, tens of thousands … Continued