News Release

New Gardner Institute study helps identify current, future needs of new Americans in Salt Lake County

May 14, 2020 (Salt Lake City, Utah) – The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute today released a two-part study on new Americans living in Salt Lake County. The study includes a qualitative study of service providers to immigrants and refugees in the county as well as a demographic profile of the county’s new American population. The purpose of the study is to help Salt Lake County better understand the current and future needs of its new American residents.

“The Salt Lake County Office for New Americans and The Community Foundation of Utah contracted with the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute to better understand the needs and demographic profile of Salt Lake County’s immigrant and refugee populations and the organizations that serve them,” said Dianne Meppen, director of survey research at the Gardner Institute. “Through demographic and qualitative research approaches, we learned that an ever-shifting new American population necessitates fluidity from providers and the county in meeting their needs.”

Highlights from the report include the following:

  • Home to one-third of the state’s population and over half of Utah’s quarter of a million new Americans, the communities of Salt Lake County provide both new and long-standing enclaves for these newcomers into the United States.
  • Unaffordable housing, inconvenient transportation, inadequate education and training resources, inaccessible healthcare and translation assistance were among the issues mentioned needing the most help.
  • Language barriers, complicated systems to navigate, lack of information, and fear were among the frequently cited barriers to seeking services.
  • Providers could better help serve this population with improved coordination, and a one-stop-shop resource website.

“As Salt Lake County continually strives to be a welcoming community, we need to work in concert with our service providers to identify and break down barriers that prevent residents from accessing needed services. We need to identify opportunities to provide services and better serve New Americans,” said Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson. “The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute’s ‘New Americans in Salt Lake County’ report not only provides a significant, detailed demographic profile, but also presents valuable, specific recommendations to guide county government and community organizations as we serve Salt Lake’s ever-changing New American population.”

The full report is now available online.