Blog

Utah Foundation Wins Top Awards for Policy Research

Written by: Shawn Teigen

Last week, the Utah Foundation was honored with several awards from the Governmental Research Association, a national association of governmental research professionals. The GRA presented the awards at its 109th annual conference and meeting, hosted by the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia. The Utah Foundation’s honors were as follows: Communications Category, Best Video: The Missing Middle of the Housing Market Most Distinguished Research Award, State Government Issue: Going for the Green: How Utah Can Thrive in the New … Continued

Utah Thrives Podcast | Improving Community Quality in Utah

Written by: Peter Reichard

What’s on Utah’s Punch List to Improve Community Quality of Life? At the end of June, the Utah Foundation released The 2022 Utah Community Quality of Life Index: Is a Booming Economy Making Life Better? The report focuses on community quality of life – based on a survey where Utahns rate their communities on a series of 20 factors.  Since 2011, the Utah Foundation has measured community quality of life with the Index five times. In 2022, … Continued

Op-ed: Rising inflation and housing crisis — Where is the American dream?

Written by: Peter Reichard

High housing costs. Rapidly rising interest rates. Surging oil prices. Escalating inflation.  If you don’t already own a home or if rising grocery costs don’t fit your budget, you might be excused for feeling a sense of dread. The American dream is built on homeownership and the idea that you can earn more in real dollars than your parents. But the elevated housing costs and surging interest rates are suddenly putting the first part of … Continued

Utah Thrives Podcast | Is Utah Losing Focus on its Children?

Written by: Peter Reichard

In this edition of Utah Thrives, Senior Analyst Christopher Collard and President Peter Reichard discuss the May 2022 Utah Foundation report, The Flowering of Youth: The Next Generation in Utah. The report is the sixth installment in the Utah Social Capital Series. The report revealed some surprising trends nationally, but also in a state that takes pride in its focus on youth. 

Op-ed: Utah should be broadening educational horizons

Written by: Peter Reichard

Few dividing lines in our nation are as bright as the line between those who have some form of post-secondary degree or certification and those who do not. A shortfall in post-secondary educational attainment diminishes both social capital and economic prospects. And the consequences echo through generations, as the children of those with low educational attainment are more likely to follow suit. Some of the steps to expanding post-secondary attainment involve long-term, bottom-up changes. But … Continued

Significant Statistics | Can Carpenters Afford the Homes They Build?

Written by: Shawn Teigen

Having recently completed our “middle housing” project (see the project page here), the Utah Foundation continues to track Utah’s housing issues. A recent find is the Carpenter Index. AEI’s Housing Center created its Carpenter Index as a way of tracking housing affordability in the country’s 100 largest metro areas. The Index looks at the income for the average carpenter-headed household as a proxy for blue-collar Americans’ incomes. The gist of the question: Can carpenters afford … Continued

Utah Thrives Podcast | Broadening Utah Students’ Horizons

Written by: Peter Reichard

Broadening Educational Horizons, Bridging Socio-Economic Gaps How can Utah inspire K-12 students to look beyond a high school diploma? When looking beyond high school, some Utah students face low expectations, a shortfall in post-secondary readiness, a lack of knowledge around post-secondary options and financial challenges. Our new report, Broadening Horizons: Clearing an Early Path to Post-Secondary Success, not only explores these challenges, but also seeks to reveal the network of supports that can help smooth the … Continued

Video: The Missing Middle of the Housing Market

Written by: Christopher Collard

The Utah Foundation’s multi-part project on the “missing middle” of the housing market has been making waves among civic, business and policy leaders. Find out what middle housing is, why it matters and how to deploy it in this brief, engaging video.  

Utah Thrives Podcast | The Middle-Class and Social Cohesion

Written by: Peter Reichard

How does economic stratification look in Utah? Utah is unique among Western States on a key measure of social cohesion   In March, the Utah Foundation put out a new edition in our Utah Social Capital Series called The Soil of Common Ground: Social Cohesion in Utah. On maybe the most important metric, Utah came out on top nationally. On another, Utah stands alone in the Western states. In this edition of Utah Thrives, Utah Foundation Senior … Continued