UtahUtah communities can borrow for infrastructure that supports housing
Utah’s housing infrastructure loan program lets eligible communities borrow for projects that support approved housing, with $100 million transferred to its fund for fiscal year 2027.
What it does
A state board may lend money to eligible public bodies for infrastructure that supports housing construction. Applicants must meet housing, matching-fund, and repayment requirements.
A state board may award grants for public infrastructure that supports affordable housing in a first-class county. Projects must meet home-count requirements, and awards depend on available funding.
State agencies may sell surplus property to eligible housing organizations at an appraised value set before development rights are granted. They may defer payment until after owner-occupied housing is developed.
The state transfers $50 million from its transportation fund to a restricted account for a qualifying county convention center. A separate sales-tax distribution may support the center starting in 2030.
The law sets the affordable-housing grant bond limit at $150 million and caps specified SR-89 and nearby transportation work at $250 million. Grant advances must be repaid from bond proceeds.
Argument forCommunities could use loans to speed infrastructure work for approved housing projects, if they provide matching funds and show how they will repay the loan.
Argument againstCommunities could take on repayment costs for loans that may last up to 20 years, even when the housing project depends on several partners.
More detail
A state board may lend money to eligible public bodies for infrastructure that supports housing construction. Eligible applicants include cities, counties, special districts, and other named public bodies. Loans may cover publicly owned transportation or utility projects tied to a housing development. Applicants must show that a housing development is approved or will be approved, that the loan would speed its completion, and that the developer agrees to a completion schedule. Applicants must provide matching funds and a main source of repayment. Cities and counties must also have a qualifying moderate-income housing plan. The board gives preference to developments with a substantial number of detached, owner-occupied starter homes. The loan program took effect May 6, 2026. The state transferred $100 million to the fund for fiscal year 2027.
A state grant board may award money for public infrastructure that supports affordable housing in a first-class county. Grants go to public entities in a county of the first class for infrastructure that will help build affordable homes. Funding depends on money being available. Each proposal must support at least 50 affordable homes, and every $20,000 in grant money must support at least one such home. The board gives priority to projects with a substantial part devoted to detached, owner-occupied starter homes. It may waive the initial cost-estimate requirements. The grant provisions took effect May 6, 2026.
The state may sell surplus property to certain housing organizations at an appraised value set before development rights are granted, and may defer payment. This applies to surplus property sold by a state agency to an eligible state or independent housing organization. The buyer must be a state agency or independent entity that administers public interests in housing. The state agency decides whether to defer payment. Any sale and deferred payment must follow state and federal law. The provision took effect May 6, 2026.
The state directs transportation money to convention-center reserves and allows certain convention-center spending. The rules cover a convention center owned by a first-class county and located in a first-class city. The center must be owned by a first-class county and located in a first-class city. Money in the restricted account may be spent only if the Legislature appropriates it, for center revitalization and related projects or to help secure county debt for a convention center. The $50 million transfer is for fiscal year 2027. Starting with a fiscal year on or after July 1, 2030, and on or before July 1, 2060, $5 million in specified sales-tax revenue goes to a first-class county for center revitalization and related projects.
The law raises the maximum authorized transportation bonds for affordable-housing infrastructure grants and lowers the amount reserved for improvements to SR-89 and nearby transportation facilities. The provisions concern state transportation bonds and money used for affordable-housing infrastructure grants and specified SR-89 work in a first-class county. The higher bond limit does not override the state debt restriction in the Utah Constitution. Grant money paid from the Transportation Investment Fund must be repaid from bond proceeds, and the transportation director must find that issuing the grant money will not delay a commission-prioritized project. The bond and transportation-fund provisions took effect May 6, 2026. The related Transportation Investment Fund revision took effect July 1, 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 25Governor Spencer Cox SignedBecame Law
- Mar 16House/ to GovernorTo Governor
- Mar 16House/ received enrolled bill from PrintingMinor
- Mar 12House/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 12Enrolled Bill Returned to House or SenateMinor
- Mar 11Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
- Mar 11Bill Received from House for EnrollingMinor
- Mar 11House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrollingMajor
- Mar 11House/ received from SenateMinor
- Mar 10LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0492S06
- Mar 10LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0492S05
- Mar 10LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0492S04
- Mar 10Senate/ to House
- Mar 10Senate/ signed by President/ returned to HouseMajor
- Mar 10Senate/ received from HouseMinor
- Mar 7LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0492S06
- Vote recorded House Conference Committee - Final Passage. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Senate Conference Committee - Final Passage. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 7LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0492S05
- Mar 7House/ to Senate
- Mar 7House Conference Committee - Final Passage [Senate President]Major
- Mar 7LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0492S04
- Mar 7House Motion to Adopt Joint Conference Comm Rpt [Conference Committee]
- Mar 7House/ received from SenateMinor
- Mar 7Senate/ to House
- Mar 7Senate Conference Committee - Final Passage [Conference Committee]Major
- Mar 7Senate Motion to Adopt Joint Conference Comm Rpt [Conference Committee]
- Mar 7Senate/ received from HouseMinor
- Mar 7Conference Committee Report [Conference Committee]
- Mar 7Bill Substituted by Conference Committee [Conference Committee]Major
- Mar 7LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0492S06
- Mar 7LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0492S06
- Mar 7LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0492S05
- Mar 7LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0492S05
- Mar 7House/ to Senate
- Mar 7House Conference Committee Appointed [Conference Committee]Minor
- Mar 7House/ received from SenateMinor
- Mar 7Senate/ to House
- Mar 7Senate Conference Committee Appointed [Conference Committee]Minor
- Mar 7Senate/ refused to recede from Senate amendments
- Mar 7House/ to Senate
- Mar 7House/ refuse to concur with Senate amendment
- Mar 7House/ uncircled
- Mar 7House/ circled
- Mar 7House/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
- Mar 7House/ received from SenateMinor
- Mar 7Senate/ to House with amendments
- Mar 7Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspensionPassed Senate
- Mar 7Senate/ substituted
- Mar 7Senate/ uncircled
- Mar 7LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0492S04
- Mar 7LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0492S04
- Mar 5Senate/ circled
- Mar 5Senate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspensionMinor
- Mar 5Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Mar 5Senate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar
- Mar 4Senate/ returned to Rules [Senate Rules Committee]
- Mar 2Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Mar 2Senate/ committee report favorable [Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee]Minor
- Feb 28Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation [Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee]Minor
- Feb 26Senate/ to standing committee [Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee]Minor
- Feb 26LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0492S03
- Feb 25LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0492S03
- Feb 25Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)Minor
- Feb 24Senate/ received from HouseMinor
- Vote recorded House/ passed 3rd reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 24House/ to Senate
- Feb 24House/ passed 3rd readingPassed House
- Feb 24House/ substituted
- Feb 24House/ 3rd readingMinor
- Feb 24LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0492S03
- Feb 24LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0492S03
- Feb 20LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0492S01
- Feb 20LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0492S02
- Feb 20LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0492S02
- Feb 20LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0492S01
- Feb 19House/ 2nd readingMinor
- Feb 19House/ comm rpt/ substituted [House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee]
- Feb 19House Comm - Favorable Recommendation [House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee]Minor
- Feb 19House Comm - Substitute Recommendation [House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee]Major
- Feb 18LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0492S02
- Feb 18LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0492S02
- Feb 18LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0492S01
- Feb 18LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0492S01
- Feb 12House/ to standing committee [House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee]Minor
- Feb 11House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal AnalystMinor
- Feb 10LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0492
- Feb 10LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0492
- Feb 4House/ 1st reading (Introduced)Minor
- Feb 4House/ received bill from Legislative ResearchMinor
- Feb 4LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0492
- Feb 4LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0492
- Feb 4Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Feb 4Bill Numbered but not DistributedIntroduced
HousingTransportationEconomy & Jobs