OGDEN — It’s hard to go far in Ogden without seeing new houses going up or large apartment complexes under construction.

With the city’s population rapidly growing and the expenses of life rising exponentially, many people are looking for more affordable housing. That brings us to our first question for Ogden’s slate of mayoral candidates: What is your philosophy on bringing affordable housing to the community?

The responses are in the candidates’ own words.

Chris Barragan

“My philosophy is that affordable housing is a basic need. Unfortunately there are thousands in Ogden and Weber County that don’t have the means to live here. Both the Weber County Housing Authority and the Ogden Housing Authority are overwhelmed by massive waiting lists and a complete absence of rentals that meet their voucher guidelines. In addition to that home ownership remains unobtainable to far too many of our residents. We don’t need apartments we need development that encourages ownership.”

Bart Blair

“Ogden city leads the county in low-moderate income housing. We have more ‘affordable housing’ in our city than any of our neighboring communities. That abundance of housing stock has huge impacts on our city as a whole. There are major gaps in our stock of quality affordable housing, and there are residents looking for these types of homes. Whether they are just starting careers, downsizing from another home, or raising a family on a single income, there should be quality affordable housing options for them. My philosophy is to continue to provide quality housing options for all of our residents, whatever their current or future needs may be.”

Angel Castillo

“Ogden deserves a mayor who’s passionate about rightsizing the budget and doing something different and intentional about housing. My administration will create better pathways to first-time home ownership. I have attended every city council/RDA meeting since 2018 and have been commenting on every HUD grant program and housing initiative. I’ve been lifting up the fact that what we’re currently doing just isn’t enough.

“We need to create purchase inventory at a $250k price point. That means changing zoning for smaller units so they pencil for developers. It means public/private partnerships in conjunction with city land trusts. Large apartments have their place, but we need to protect the integrity of single family home neighborhoods, and that’s going to require creativity, desire and communication with community, so our kids can stay in Ogden.”

Jon Greiner

“There are always needs for affordable housing in every community. It is part of the basic fabric of the American dream. Affordable housing is just a few small steps up from homelessness. The Utah State Director for homelessness is Wayne Neiderhauser. I served with him in the Utah Senate for four years. It would be my goal to work with him and his office to address Ogden’s homelessness as a step towards affordable housing. Additionally, we also need to have affordable housing as an Ogden goal which needs to focus on available partners in all forms of government. There are needs in every community for that focus and working with Wayne and others would be a statewide approach to part of this bigger problem.”

Taylor Knuth

“All residents, regardless of their age or stage in life, should have access to affordable and quality housing. That said, affordable housing should not equate to a lack of dignity in one’s living situation. We must prioritize the preservation of dignity and humanity when addressing affordable housing needs in our community with an emphasis on quality. Affordable housing is a necessity that benefits everyone in the city.

“As a first-time homeowner myself, thanks to the Home Sweet Ogden program, I am deeply committed to protecting and expanding opportunities for our residents to build wealth and achieve homeownership. Affordable housing is not just a solution to a housing crisis; it is a means of empowering individuals and families to thrive in our community.”

Oscar Mata

“Everyone deserves a home, but sadly, many in Ogden can’t afford one. That needs to change. As Mayor, I’ll make sure our city does its part in creating enough affordable, accessible housing. New building proposals will need to include enough ADA-compliant and reasonably-priced homes. I’ll also work on improving our homeownership programs, with a focus on helping renters in our city. In addition, I plan to ensure these new homes are being built by Utahns for Utahns instead of out-of-state developers who have no stake in the well-being of our community. Everyone should have a place to call home, and I’m committed to making that a reality in Ogden.”

Ben Nadolski

“Affordable housing is the single-most effective way to build wealth and the break cycle of generational poverty. Every community should have a mix of housing across the spectrum of affordability and locations throughout the city.

“Ogden has more than enough rental units and apartments but is falling short on entry level homes and condominiums. As Mayor, I would prioritize updating the General Plan and the new housing zones that allow for more affordable and owner-occupied homes, both of which I strongly supported in this year’s budget. I would also advocate for concepts like density bonuses that don’t create a cost for the city, but will incentivize developers to voluntarily build owner occupied homes at a scale that’s more affordable.”