Rural gentrification is happening all over America, and it has arrived in Utah. Although many towns in Utah are experiencing massive growth and spillover from larger cities, I want to shine light on the gentrification happening in Kamas Valley, a valley about 30 minutes from Park City with a population of a little over 4,000 people.  This valley is comprised of multiple cities that include Kamas, Oakley, Samak, Francis, Woodland, Marion and Peoa. I grew up in Oakley and lived in a small, tightknit neighborhood until I was 18. The entire valley had a strong communal feel. Everyone knew everyone, and the community would come together when needed. Such as helping neighbors to sandbag during high water years, or raising money for local families experiencing hardships.  I grew up hoping to one day own a house in this place, but now that feels like a pipe dream. The rural gentrification has been occurring for the past couple decades, but has had a steep incline in the past 10 years.  There has been more and more development occurring, but the houses look more like mansions and less like the houses that have historically been built there. These new homes and housing developments are being built by mostly upper middle to upper class individuals and corporations. When looking at who can afford these homes, it is not the local people who work as firefighters, police officers, librarians, school personal, servers or construction workers. According to Realtor.com, the median home price in Kamas is $1.2 million. The U.S. Census Bureau states that the median household income is $81,341. However, this income, according to SoFi, will only allow someone to afford a home near $300,000.  This means that for the median earner, buying a house in the Kamas Valley is out of reach.  Upon a quick Zillow search, there were only two houses for rent in Kamas under $2,000 a month. There were houses in surrounding cities for rent, but they each were over $3,000 to rent. In addition to renting, there were no houses for sale under $565,000, and the house that was $565,000 was classified as a studio.  Myself and many others around my age who grew up in the Kamas Valley are not able to find housing there. We have been forced to look to surrounding areas and beyond, sometimes in other states, to find an affordable place to live. It is many people’s dreams to raise a family in the same place they grew up. I know it was my dream. Just as their parents, and grandparents did. Sadly, it feels as if it is the end of that era. People who grew up in small rural towns are no longer able to afford to live there, crushing a hope of raising their children in a place where they are deeply connected. This loss of a sense of place from urban sprawl and loss of community no doubt has a profound affect on individuals, families and communities’ mental health.  Something’s got to give. Although the Kamas general plan states that development should be well planned, with expansion outside city boundaries only being considered if it benefits the whole community, there have been no affordable housing development projects in or surrounding Kamas since they stated this in 2016. There have been many housing developments created in the valley and surrounding areas since 2016, and none of them are within reach for the median income earner. It is not enough for Kamas and surrounding cities to say they are going to do something about the housing crisis. They need to back up their words with actions. The increased urban sprawl into rural areas in the past few decades have given way to a better management strategy coined “smart growth.” I suggest that the model of “smart growth” is something smaller and that more rural towns should consider implementing. Some proposed solutions to the urban sprawl that has been creeping into rural areas and pushing out locals/people of lower income include using zoning laws to control location and type of development, infill development and urban growth boundaries, and promoting community engagement. I truly hope that in the coming years there will be higher access to affordable housing in the Kamas Valley, and it will be up to the City Council and government of Kamas and surrounding cities to make sure that community members in the current and coming generations are able to afford a home, and that the rural values of the community are upheld.  Emily Paul wrote a version of this commentary for her social policy class at the University of Utah while completing her master’s degree. She grew up in Oakley. The post Can’t go home again, because we can’t afford it appeared first on Park Record.