As the prospects of a new year loom imminently before us, it’s obvious that the millennials and gen z’s still face serious challenges that previous generations didn’t have to contend with. Unaffordable housing, more student loan debt, and rising costs of living are all leading to greater amounts of stress, psychological disorders and poor health. Unless something changes, today’s 20- and 30-somethings could live shorter lives, be saddled with more debt, and not be as strong as prior generations.
If you’re in this category, you may feel like life just sucks. Unless you’re drinking a cocktail while doom scrolling on TikTok, a good thing to remember is that you live in the greatest country on earth — or at least in one of the top five best countries you could have been born in. Another point to remember is that you were lucky enough to be born at one of the very best times in history.
Are housing prices oppressive and destroying your ability to build any savings? Consider moving in with a roommate or two for a couple of years. This will allow you to save enough money to buy a small condo or perhaps a lot on the outskirts of town where you could park a prefabricated home or RV.
Two years ago we wrote about a man who was building out lots in Gunnison, Utah, where couples could buy starter homes for $150,000. That was a story that should have made headlines.
The problem with the affordable housing crisis is that everybody loves the idea of affordable housing — as long as it isn’t in their backyard. While boomers and gen xers may have their kids living in their basements, they aren’t petitioning their local city councils to change zoning laws to allow for more density and/or restrictions on housing types.
NIMBYism and elitism are the primary causes preventing our cities from adapting to the needs of new generations. The suburbs were a great American invention in post World War II America, but the traditional suburban model is failing us when it comes to creating an adequate supply of starter homes. The suburbs need to change and we need to adapt to a model that allows for more dwellings of all types.
The Salt Lake City Council created an affordable housing provisions plan to address this need. However, this plan fails to allow landlords who own rental houses to build auxiliary dwelling units (ADUs) on their properties. These half-baked measures clearly demonstrate who’s really running the show in the downtown development game. Or at least who isn’t working to solve the problem. As always, it’s Utah’s hybrid developer/politicians.
However, I was impressed with Steve Waldrop’s comments on the Utah Stories podcast and his explanation that building more starter homes would allow young people to buy homes much sooner.
He explained that if we do not solve this problem, not only will kids not be able to move out of their parents homes, but young Utahn’s will stop having children. This has already started to happen as Utah’s birth rate has declined substantially in the last five years.
Sadly, many of the millennials and gen z‘s have chosen to check out rather than tune in and make a difference. Apathy and overstimulation are the symptoms of too many TikTok videos which drown out the realities that these folks need to be dealing with.
The laws need to change and political leaders need to start serving the interests of all institutions. From banking to building, and construction to development, politics need to serve the up-and-coming 20- and 30-somethings who should feel confident that they will be able to have big happy families like Utah has encouraged for previous generations.
Why have a lot of kids? Because the essential core of a great economy, a great workforce and a great state, is the nuclear family. Utah has always been about producing strong, resilient families with kids who want to do great things in the world. Our leaders need to provide them with the opportunities to do those things.
Despite the challenges that lie ahead, we are fortunate to live in a beautiful state surrounded by stunning scenery and year-round recreational opportunities. From snowshoeing, snowboarding and skiing in the winter to hiking, climbing and biking in the summer, we live in a mecca of perpetual beauty and opportunity.
Whatever your hopes, dreams and resolutions for the new year might include, we at Utah Utah Stories wish you a bright and prosperous 2025.
Feature image photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash
