Survey: South Salt Lake residents rank housing affordability, neighborhood infrastructure among top budget priorities

Kyrene Gibb, a consultant with y2 Analytics, told the South Salt Lake City Council at its April 23 work meeting that a resident survey conducted Feb. 27–March 19 drew 425 responses and produced a margin of error of roughly 4.7 percentage points. "The survey was in the field for about 3 weeks from February 27 to March nineteenth of this year," Gibb said.

The survey found that roughly three out of four residents believe the city is headed in the right direction, and the city's average quality-of-life score was about 69 on a 0–100 scale, similar to 2020. Housing affordability topped residents' concerns: the share who said they expect to be able to afford staying in their current residence for the next year fell by about 20 percentage points since 2020, Gibb said. "When we look at residents' key concerns, housing affordability is at the top of the list," she said.

Gibb reported that 56% of respondents said they believe they can afford to stay in their home for the foreseeable future, and fewer than half now say the city provides a sufficient range of housing options for seniors, working families and young people. Residents' perceptions of transportation options and of the mix of businesses and services also declined compared with five years ago, she said.

On public safety, the survey showed high daytime confidence: more than 90% of respondents said they feel safe walking in neighborhoods during the day or visiting public buildings. Nighttime walking generated more concern; Gibb said open-ended responses linked unease to poor lighting, fast traffic, limited visibility and perceived illicit activity.

The survey asked about the city's Promise programs. Among respondents aware of the programs, the youth program drew the highest share saying it is "extremely important" or "very important," and food security, housing assistance and family support programs likewise showed broad backing. Gibb said residents who have participated in or volunteered for Promise programs are most likely to rate them as extremely or very important.

Councilmember Raymond P. Ward asked whether nighttime-safety concerns were concentrated in particular districts; Gibb said she did not have that breakout on hand but offered to produce district-level cross-tabulations. The consultant noted district-level margins of error are larger because of smaller samples per district and that district boundaries have been redrawn since 2020, which limits direct district-over-time comparisons.

The consultant described the survey methodology in detail: address-based random sampling using USPS records, invitations by postcard and text, an online response option, and English/Spanish language availability. She said the sample was weighted to match the city's age, gender, ethnicity and homeownership distributions.

City staff and council members asked follow-up questions about whether respondents may have been influenced by broader economic or political conditions; Gibb said the questionnaire was framed specifically about life in South Salt Lake, but broader economic conditions can still affect how people answer.

Why it matters: the results will inform the council's strategic planning and budgeting process by identifying resident priorities — especially housing affordability, neighborhood infrastructure (streets, lighting and related maintenance) and public safety concerns at night — and showing widespread support for the city's Promise social programs.

The consultant offered to provide additional cross-tabulations on request, including district-level breakdowns for nighttime-safety concerns and location details from open-ended responses about lighting or parks.