Chamber wants Legislature to tackle workforce, housing & water

Housing, workforce and water are among issues that the Legislature needs to tackle during the current general session, according to the leader of the state’s largest business association.

Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance, spelled out those challenges and called for unity in the business community as lawmakers try to address them through public policy. His remarks were part of the annual{mprestriction ids="1,3"} Utah Economic Outlook and Public Policy Summit, hosted by the chamber and the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, in Salt Lake City.

“As we gather today, we look forward to the future and we recognize that, despite our state’s strong economy, we also in a time of economic uncertainty,” Miller told the crowd. “We know this because each one of us is living it.”

Thus, the business community’s work to create good policy “is more important than ever before,” he said. “By matching our strengths to our challenges through good policy work, Utah’s economy and business climate will continue to be one of the best in the nation.”

Utah continues to face a housing affordability crisis, in part because state incentives aimed at attracting businesses and growing the number of jobs in the state led to economic success and a high demand for housing, he said.

“The plan worked, and it worked well,” Miller said, adding that now the state must adapt. With rapid growth in population, employment and businesses, the state must adjust its incentive programs to meet the challenges of affordable housing, he said.

The chamber also supports more funding for additional resources to address homelessness but also wants more enforcement in order to boost safety for both the homeless and general public, he added.

Another ongoing state issue is the workforce, with the chamber calling for private-sector advocacy of public-sector support for workforce and skills training to address the shortfall of workers in the state.

Exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, that shortfall has led to Utah having one of the most severe worker shortages in the nation, Miller said. Meanwhile, rural Utahns have an opposite problem, with people there struggling to find jobs, he said.

“Our workforce is missing women, young men, early retirees, youth, immigrants, refugees and second-chance hires,” Miller said “Thankfully the ‘Utah Way’ is one of participation and industry. As a community, we champion work and the notable goal that every able-bodied individual serves as a contributor to society.”

The chamber, he said, is “all in when it comes to helping Utahns improve their circumstances through work,” he said.

A third lingering issue with a shortage is water. Currently, the state is “in a situation with water where conservation alone with not solve this crisis,” according to Miller.

The chamber supports the governor’s and Legislature’s effort to increase water infrastructure. State leaders also need to continue to talk about and act on “where Utah’s limited water resources are being used,” Miller said.

“The truth is that solving Utah’s water crisis is going to take a lot more than removing small strips of grass in front of houses to address the challenges that we face.”

Miller was among several speakers at the summit calling for more civility in addressing issues. Describing it as “the practice of avoiding extremes,” Miller said civility includes seeking common ground, commending rather than condemning compromise, and striving to find the right balance.

“Utah has been blessed with a united business community, but being united does not mean that we always agree,” he said. “Instead, it means that when there are challenges, we try our best to put aside our differences and come together for the greater good of the whole.”

The legislative general session began Jan. 17 and concludes March 3. Details about the chamber’s policy priorities are available at https://slchamber.com/public-policy/priorities/.{/mprestriction}