Salt Lake City—Ivory Innovations, a nonprofit dedicated to catalyzing innovation in housing affordability, celebrates the passage of SB0168, Affordable Building Amendments, which was signed into law on March 19, 2024. The new code centralizes inspection and plan review of modular projects under a statewide modular construction program.      

Prior to the bill’s passage, these responsibilities were delegated to Utah’s 250+ municipalities, many of which lack the resources or expertise necessary to efficiently evaluate projects using this relatively new form of construction. The legislation makes Utah uniquely attractive to developers and manufacturers working in the modular space.     

“Establishing a statewide off-site construction program unlocks opportunities to address housing needs across the state,” said Ryan Colker, Vice President of Innovation at the International Code Council. “Basing the program on ICC/MBI Standards 1200 and 1205 means that the new program will leverage the lessons learned and best practices from programs across the country to deliver benefits to Utah residents and the manufacturers that can serve them. We are pleased to have worked with a diverse set of stakeholders to help make this happen.”

SB0168 supports more widespread use of modular construction in Utah, offering another avenue to help alleviate the stress of the state’s housing affordability crisis. Using modular construction, homes are built in factories and then assembled or installed on-site. This method of building can allow higher-quality buildings to be produced at faster speeds, contributing in turn to increased housing supply and affordability.           

Utah Governor Spencer Cox stated, “As one of the first states to adopt these new codes, Utah continues to show its leadership in innovation and as a great place to do business. Modular construction is one of the important solutions to improve housing affordability, and I am excited that we have made it easier to build and develop new housing in Utah.”

Utah is the first state to establish a program of this kind in 25 years. This shift towards innovative housing solutions signifies a crucial step in addressing the housing affordability crisis and ensuring a more equitable future for Utah’s communities.

“In our federalist system, local-level regulatory oversight of building codes has historically limited the scaling of offsite construction and other innovations in the housing sector that otherwise, could positively impact affordability and sustainability. Bill SB0168  and the adoption of modular codes is one large step in moving toward a more productive and predictable way to deliver housing to Utah. MOD X is pleased to have participated in this effort and we look forward to helping jurisdictions across the U.S. overcome similar barriers to scaling housing innovation,” said Ryan Smith, co-founder, MOD X. 

According to an article by the University of Utah’s Gardner Policy Institute, housing prices in the Salt Lake Metropolitan Area are higher than 87 percent of all major metropolitan areas.

The passage of this legislation would not have been possible without the engagement of many stakeholders, including Senator Fillmore, Representative Whyte, the Utah League of Cities and Towns, Christina Oliver and the Utah Department of Workforce Services, Representative Peterson, and The Salt Lake City Corporation who all came together to support this legislation.

For those interested in learning more about offsite construction and its impacts on building in Utah, visit ivoryinnovations.org/offsite.

ABOUT IVORY INNOVATIONS
Ivory Innovations was created at the David Eccles School of Business in 2017 in response to the escalating challenges in the Utah housing industry. Ivory Innovations is dedicated to catalyzing innovative solutions in housing affordability. Utilizing its network and resources, Ivory Innovations promotes the most compelling ideas in housing affordability, working across sectors and providing monetary awards with the Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability. Additionally, in partnership with the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, Ivory Innovations places students at the center of its efforts, through Hack-A-House – an annual entrepreneurial competition – as well as scholarships, a course on housing innovation, and internships that place students at the core of the Ivory Prize search. Recently, in an effort to put housing innovation into practice, Ivory Innovations has partnered with Call to Action Foundation. Together, they will be building more than 850 affordable units across the state of Utah. For more information about the Ivory Prize and Ivory Innovations, visit www.ivoryinnovations.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Mariana Anchante
[email protected]
(702)472-0489