Reclaiming Our Family & Future
The Utah Dream Shouldn’t Be a Fairy Tale: Reclaiming Our Family & Future
I was talking to a neighbor the other day—a young dad working two jobs—and he told me something that broke my heart. He said, "Shana, I love this state, but I don't think my kids will ever be able to afford a roof over their heads here."
That is a failure of leadership, plain and simple. We’ve reached a point in Utah where the "cost of living" isn't just a headline; it’s a crisis that is hollowing out our communities. If we don’t act now, we are essentially exporting our greatest resource—our children—to other states because they’ve been priced out of their own birthright.
Houses Are for Families, Not Hedge Funds
Here is the truth that nobody in the Capitol wants to say out loud: Your family is currently being outbid by a computer algorithm. Massive out-of-state corporations are buying up Utah’s starter homes, turning them into permanent rentals, and driving prices up. They don't care about our neighborhoods, our schools, or our kids; they care about their quarterly profits.
The Science says: When corporate ownership of residential property spikes, homeownership rates for families plummet.
The Reason says: A house should be a home first and an investment vehicle second.
My priority legislation is simple: Tax corporate home-ownership at a significantly higher rate than family ownership. If a giant corporation wants to snatch a home away from a local family, they’re going to pay a premium that goes right back into our community.
40 Hours Should Be Enough
If you work 40 or 60 or 80 hours a week, you should be able to cover the essentials. Period.
We’ve let the gap between wages and the cost of survival grow into a canyon. Advocating for a living wage isn't some radical idea, it’s basic economic common sense. When people can afford to live where they work, our local economy stabilizes, our schools improve, and our families thrive.
Why is nothing changing?
Why hasn't this happened yet? Because the current system is working exactly as intended for the people at the top. But I’m not here to represent the interests of corporate landlords or lobbyist groups. I’m here for the families.
We have the tools. We have the data. What we’re missing is the political will to stop prioritizing profit over people. The right time was years ago. The next best time is now.
