The Moab Area Community Land Trust has largely completed Phase I at Arroyo Crossing, its first major affordable housing project, and is preparing for future construction phases while beginning to explore where a second development could take shape in Grand County.
MACLT leaders delivered the update during an Aug. 19 presentation to the Grand County Commission, outlining the land trust’s milestones, current projects and long-term goals.
“Arroyo Crossing is just the beginning,” said board Chair Sheri Griffith. “We feel like such a big project, but we’re at the point now where we can start planning for that next one.”
A model for affordable housing
Founded in 2012 and launched in earnest in 2018 with a major land donation and federal tax credit funding, MACLT creates permanently affordable housing by holding land in trust and offering 99-year ground leases to residents. Homes are deed-restricted based on income and employment, ensuring they remain in the hands of the local workforce.
As of August, 96 homes are occupied, 85 more are in development, and another 119 are planned. Once complete, Arroyo Crossing will include more than 300 homes — a mix of single-family houses, twin homes, townhomes, and rental apartments — supporting an estimated 600 to 700 residents.
Development partners include Community Rebuilds, the Housing Authority of Southeastern Utah, Utah Housing Corporation, Territorial Land Company, and Giv Development. Together, they have brought in more than $40 million in housing and infrastructure value to the community.
Griffith called Arroyo Crossing the largest land trust development in Utah and one of the largest in the country. She said the project was intentionally designed to include a mix of housing types to serve a wide range of local residents.
Keeping homes local
All homes in the development are deed-restricted to ensure long-term affordability. Buyers must earn below 120% of the area median income and live or work locally. When a homeowner decides to sell, the price is capped by a formula in the land lease, preventing speculation and keeping homes accessible to future local buyers.
Board member Shalee Bryant said she joined the MACLT board after realizing how the model could help her children and other local families stay in the community. She said too many young people are left with few housing options beyond overcrowded or substandard rentals.
The trust’s approach has drawn interest across Utah and beyond. Executive Director Kaitlin Myers was invited to Washington, D.C., to present on the program, and other counties are exploring how to replicate it.
In addition to development, MACLT oversees long-term stewardship — a key part of its mission. The organization supports residents through financial education, maintenance guidance and a resident-led board. One recent resale under the trust’s formula allowed the homeowner to earn modest equity while preserving nearly $157,000 in public subsidy, helping keep the home affordable for the next buyer.
Next phases underway soon
Phase II infrastructure is expected to break ground this fall, with Phase III scheduled to begin in 2027. Full build-out of the roughly 300 planned homes will likely take until around 2029 or 2030, depending on funding and partner timelines, according to Myers.
A new 84-unit apartment complex, Amasa Arroyo Apartments, is slated for construction in 2026 after receiving federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits this summer.
MACLT’s development partners are also nearing completion on several projects. Confluence Cottages, a 24-unit rental development by Utah Housing Corporation, is nearly complete and expected to begin accepting applications in fall 2025. Skyline Arch Apartments — a 32-unit complex built by the Housing Authority of Southeastern Utah using federal tax credits — was completed earlier this year and is now fully occupied.
The full project is expected to generate around $150 million in long-term housing and infrastructure value. MACLT estimates that for every dollar of public or private subsidy invested, Arroyo Crossing has created approximately $6.76 in value.
Even as Arroyo Crossing grows, MACLT is preparing to expand its work across the region. Leaders said they hope to collaborate with the county and city to identify future housing needs and opportunities.
“What do we need to do next? And how can we help take all this knowledge we’ve garnered and apply it to the next project?” Griffith said. “We need to go so that we can take this expertise and multiply it to the rest of the county.”
The trust is exploring future projects including senior and accessible housing, supportive housing, land acquisition and expanded deed restriction services across the Moab Valley.
Support from the county
County commissioners thanked the MACLT team for its work and expressed support for continuing the partnership.
“You guys have made a big difference and it’s very apparent,” said Commissioner Jacques Hadler. “Thank you for all the hard work and I think it’s an exemplary project.”
Griffith noted that the project has moved forward with minimal cost to local taxpayers. Early county support — including fee waivers, federal ARPA funding for staffing and assistance securing infrastructure grants — and other forms of support helped launch the project and leverage millions of dollars in outside investment.
“It didn’t take a lot of money out of people’s pockets,” Griffith said. “We made it pretty self-sustainable and affordable.”
Griffith said that local support helped MACLT unlock outside funding and build a replicable model — something board members hope can inspire similar efforts elsewhere.
“We want Grand County to be the example the rest of the country [looks to],” Bryant said. “We appreciate that support … we’ve gotten from the county and from the state and also the federal government, but we know how much we can do and what we can create for the future of our county, for the future of our community and citizens.”
This story was first published by The Times-Independent.