State of Utah Archives: on Welfare & Poverty

Allen Glines: Ban payday loans; incentivize affordable housing

• Ban payday loans and all other forms for predatory lending.
• Increase funding for programs that provide rental assistance to individuals in crisis.
• Fight out of control rent payments across the country.
• Encourage and incentivize the construction of affordable housing.

Chris Peterson: Continue pandemic moratorium on rent to help families

"This is not the time to throw mothers and children into the street," he said, instead "we need to work together give these people a little more time to get caught up on rent."

Danny Drew: All of society should help the least of us meet basic needs

Drew said he has also been bullied as an adult for his political beliefs--people with whom he has attended church have him "immoral" for being a teacher.

Scott Howell: Direct poverty aid through religious & community groups

Howell supports these principles regarding welfare:
• Provide homeless families with apartment vouchers.
• Continue to give states and local governments responsibility for welfare programs through TANF block grants.
• Maintain current welfare-to-work requirements in order for states to qualify for block grants.
• Transfer homeless housing programs to states through block grants.
• Direct federal poverty aid through religious, community-based or other non-profit organizations.

Spencer Cox: Make sure rural Utah is not forgotten

Still, he said Utah is a state beset with challenges of its own. "We have challenges of transportation, air quality and the cost of housing," he said, stressing he will make sure rural Utah is not forgotten.

When asked what will distinguish him from the rest of the field, he said it is his family's work ethic. "First, no one will outwork us. We (his wife, Abby, too) both grew up on farms. We are still farming and ranching today," he said.

He said he hopes the coming Utah gubernatorial race sets the right tone. "The negativity and the toxicity we see in our elections is starting to infiltrate Utah in a terrible way. We are committed to changing that. We would rather lose the right way than win the wrong way."