Davis County commissioners appoint three to housing authority board and spotlight housing affordability

The Davis County Commission approved appointments to the Davis Community Housing Authority board and highlighted housing affordability as a county priority.

Commissioner Lorraine Kamalu said the commission appointed Grant Jechs, Sue Stevenson, Tricia Davis Winters and Ryan Steinbeagle to four-year terms on the Davis Community Housing Authority board beginning Oct. 1, 2025, and ending Sept. 30, 2029. “This is a big deal, bigger than people realize,” Kamalu said, calling the authority an important partner that helps address housing instability.

The appointments were presented by Kent Anderson, director of Community and Economic Development. Anderson said the county welcomed the new appointees and noted the housing authority’s role in local affordable housing efforts. The commission approved the appointments as part of a grouped motion covering several business items.

Kamalu framed the action by stressing the link between housing costs and homelessness. “When [housing] is prohibitive and when it is high, it is the main driver of housing instability and homelessness,” she said, recounting a 2019 county tour of housing authority inventory that influenced her view of the agency’s importance.

Grant Jechs, identified in the meeting as chair of the Davis Community Housing Authority board, thanked the commission for the appointments. “On behalf of the Davis Community Housing Authority, we thank the commissioners,” Jechs said. He said the authority will continue to focus on expanding lower-income housing in Davis County and working to reduce homelessness.

The commissioners noted that the Davis Community Housing Authority is not county government but a county partner. Commissioners also recognized the professional experience the new members bring: Anderson noted Tricia Davis Winters’s state-level housing experience, including prior work in homeless services and her current role with the state’s Housing and Community Development program; Ryan Steinbeagle was singled out for his work on grants and local programs.

The discussion at the dais emphasized partnership and implementation rather than new policy decisions. No additional motions or follow-up assignments were recorded during the appointment discussion.

The meeting record indicates the appointments will take effect Oct. 1, 2025, and run through Sept. 30, 2029. The commission recorded the vote on the grouped motion that included these appointments as approved by voice vote.