Erma's legacy to live on through Sugar House's newest housing development
by Carter Williams ksl · KSL.comKEY TAKEAWAYS
- Ground broke Friday on a new affordable senior housing project in Sugar House.
- Erma's at Fairmont will provide 110 units for seniors, addressing housing shortages.
- The project is named after Erma Rosenhan, a lifelong Sugar House resident who died in 2020.
SALT LAKE CITY — Erma Rosenhan never married and never had children, but she always cared deeply for her nieces, nephews and other relatives, and her Sugar House neighbors throughout her long life.
"She cared more about people than she did about herself. She always made sure, at the end of every year, her money went to help people, and she didn't have hardly anything left at the end of every year," said Rina Rosenhan, reflecting on her great aunt's life.
Erma Rosenhan died in 2020 at the age of 105, leaving an unforgettable legacy full of quotes, stories and achievements. She was a member of the Tabernacle Choir who performed all over the world, a missionary, a family genealogy enthusiast and also a beloved employee of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Beyond that, she was a lifelong resident of Sugar House, and her family insists she always wanted her longtime Ashton Avenue home to become a neighborhood landmark. That's why, as a few extended family members stood on a future construction site a little more than a stone's throw from her old home, they felt a sense that she would appreciate perhaps the next best honor.
Ground broke Friday on Erma's at Fairmont, 2257 S. 1100 East, a new affordable housing project for people aged 62 or older. The idea, led by Lincoln Avenue Communities and Salt Lake City Housing Authority, is to help older residents remain in a place that's quickly becoming difficult to afford.
That's vital because it's an age range suddenly at the center of the city and state's housing shortage, Salt Lake City officials add. Housing prices have far outpaced wage growth in general, leaving many seniors choosing between paying rent and buying groceries or medications, said Tammy Hunsaker, director of Salt Lake City's Department of Community and Neighborhoods.
"This is definitely a needed project," she said.
The number of Utahns aged 64 or older experiencing homelessness rose by 42% from 2024 to 2025. It jumped by 8% again this year, even as the overall number dropped by 1.6%. There's a growing number of seniors couch surfing, moving to accessory dwelling units or moving into multigenerational housing just to have a place to stay, said Daniel Nackerman, executive director of the Housing Authority of Salt Lake City.
The organization announced Erma's at Fairmont would move forward in 2024, after the Utah Housing Corporation agreed to set aside $20 million in federal low-income housing tax credits to support its development.
The approximately $53 million project calls for 110 units for seniors making between 20% and 80% of the area median income, said Rusty Snow, regional project partner for Lincoln Avenue Capital. That translates to rents ranging from $535 per month at the lowest to $1,400 per month at the highest.
"It's a wide range of rents, but some of these are going to be super affordable," Nackerman said, noting that it includes utilities.
Developers estimate that construction will wrap up by the end of 2027, offering some relief to the waitlist of over 5,000 families seeking to live in Housing Authority of Salt Lake City properties.
Salt Lake City donated the land for the project, which developers estimate was worth $7 million at the time. It's located next to Fairmont Park and many new developments in the area, including the new eastern S-Line terminus that is expected to be in service by August 2027.
It was originally called Fairmont Heights Senior Community, but that changed when developers heard a suggestion to name it after Erma Rosenhan. After learning more about her and meeting with her family, they agreed it was a fitting honor. Their goal is to allow people to live in Sugar House as long as possible, as she did.
It's a property that her family will cherish, preserving Rosenhan's place in Sugar House.
"She would just be tickled pink, like you would not believe. ... This could not have gone to a better member of the Sugar House family," Rina Rosenhan said. "It's perfect for this neighborhood."
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Carter Williams
Carter Williams is a reporter for KSL. He covers Salt Lake City, statewide transportation issues, outdoors, the environment and weather. He is a graduate of Southern Utah University.