The first workshop of the Western Governors’ Association’s Building Resilient and Affordable New Developments in the West (BRAND West) initiative will be held at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on December 17 and 18. Following years of underbuilding, underinvestment, and extraordinary growth – driven by a complex mix of factors – the West is facing severe housing shortages. The workshop, hosted by Governor Spencer Cox, will examine ways to build more homes by expanding housing options, encouraging innovative funding mechanisms, leveraging infrastructure investments, increasing regional coordination, and planning vibrant, livable communities.
On the first day, programming will explore mixed-use development strategies. Attendees will tour Daybreak (pictured), a master-planned community in the suburbs of Salt Lake City. The second day will feature a conversation with Governor Cox and panels on infrastructure, financing, state and local coordination, and adaptive reuse.
Register here to join in the conversation.
BRAND West is the 2025 WGA Chair initiative of New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. The initiative focuses on increasing access to housing in western states, looking specifically at how to address housing availability and affordability and promote smart and sustainable development in communities throughout the West.
Take the BRAND West initiative survey to assist WGA in executing the initiative by identifying: (1) the current state of the housing market in the West; (2) priority issues for gubernatorial leadership to consider in supporting increased access to housing; (3) best practices for planning and developing housing; (4) federal policy issues for potential WGA advocacy; and (5) individuals or organizations interested in participating in the initiative.
