Opinion
Opinion: Youth asks “Where will I live?”
Dear Editor,
I’ve lived my entire life in Lehi. I will graduate from high school in a year. Then what? I have an interest in going to college, but I’m not sure what to study. I’m interested in the medical field and hope to pursue a career there. However, I have noticed that housing costs seem out of control lately.
Adam Albrecht, a developer wanting to build in Lehi, recently asked in a Planning Commission meeting, “How important is affordable housing in Lehi to the Planning Commission? The most affordable new construction, single-family home in Lehi right now is $547,995. That number fluctuates a little, but when anything under $450,000 goes on the market it’s a bloodbath, thousands of people are making offers.” (quoted from Lehi Free Press article titled High density housing near Main St. gets negative recommendation from Planning Commission.)
“It sounds like a sales pitch, but these are homes our kids can actually afford to buy. It’s inevitable that the surrounding area will be commercial eventually. It’s the right thing to do to put affordable homes here,” Albrecht continued.
I am really questioning the definition of affordable in this conversation. As I look at what my future holds, I am growing increasingly concerned about the kind of debt I will have to deal with if I want to live in Lehi in the future.
Morgan Laurence
Lehi, Utah
