Salt Lake City leaders are rethinking what “family” means under city housing rules — a move aimed at expanding affordable housing options.
“More types of living arrangements, like cohousing and shared living, will be permissible under [new] city code,” said Sofia Jeremias, communications manager for the Department of Community and Neighborhoods.
The current definition, in place since 1995, targets overcrowding and limits a family to people related by blood, marriage, adoption, or legal guardianship. It also allows:
- Foster children living together as a single housekeeping unit
- Up to three unrelated people to share a dwelling
- Two unrelated people and their children to live together
The code explicitly excludes clubs, group homes, lodges, and fraternity or sorority houses. “The term 'family' has been part of zoning language for decades. It’s often used to distinguish between types of housing — such as single-family, multifamily, or single-room occupancy units, where one person rents a room and shares kitchens or bathrooms, similar to a dorm,” Council Member Chris Wharton said.
Why change it now?
Wharton and other city officials say Salt Lake’s current definition is outdated and limiting.
“The definition creates different rules based on relationships and prohibits certain living arrangements,” said Jeremias.
Wharton agrees.
“In its current form, it’s basically unenforceable,” Wharton said. “I’m open to the proposed options, and I’m also interested in ideas that tie occupancy to the size of the home, like the number of bedrooms or bathrooms.”
What’s on the table?
At a Dec. 2 meeting, council members reviewed three options:
- Raise the cap on unrelated occupants from three to five
- Allow a mix of related and unrelated people
- Remove occupant limits entirely and treat all residents the same
In a straw poll, the council unanimously favored option 3.
Here's the bigger picture
Salt Lake City’s housing code has defined “family” since 1927, but the council now wants to focus on health, safety and overcrowding rather than relationships.
Median home prices in Salt Lake City hit $555,000 in October, according to Homes.com data. The metropolitan area added more than 30,000 residents between 2022 and 2023, according to a brief published by the University of Utah Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, and officials say easing occupancy rules could help affordability.
What’s next?
The city’s planning division will draft new language for review and a public hearing in 2026. Public engagement will begin once the proposal is finalized.
Some residents have already voiced concerns about parking, noise and overcrowding, Jeremias said.
“It’s not that cities want to define ‘family,’ but housing codes have historically tied occupancy limits to whether people are related,” Wharton said. “Our goal now is to modernize that structure and focus on safety, overcrowding and making sure homes are used in a way that protects residents’ welfare.”