My parents moved to the Snyderville Basin for a job opportunity at a time when the local workforce could afford to buy a home and raise a family in the area. As children of immigrants, my parents instilled in me and my four siblings a strong work ethic and deep appreciation for the opportunity prov ided by growing up in Summit County.  After graduating from Park City High School in 1999, I worked in the local ski industry as a professional ski patroller for 11 years. During that time, I worked several other service industry jobs while earning a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry. I spent my last three years ski patrolling at the Arizona Snowbowl while I earned a master’s degree in science education at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.   My goal was to return to my hometown and teach in the school district that provided me with a world-class public education. My teachers were neighbors, active community members and mentors. I admired them and aspired to continue that legacy into the next generation. I went on to teach high school Earth science, biology, and AP environmental science in Park City for the next 11 years.   Over those years I saw family, friends and coworkers pushed out of the area due to affordability. Relying on more and more commuters to keep our economy afloat has had a profound impact on our community and quality of life.  Accessing affordable housing In 2020, while teaching at the high school, I had the opportunity to buy a deed-restricted townhome in the Park City Heights neighborhood after several years on the city’s affordable housing waitlist. Securing affordable housing was life changing. I had long been an advocate for our local workforce, but the opportunity to own a home where I grew up and where I worked made me a housing advocate, too. It was clear to me then that affordable housing would play a critical role in the sustainability and vibrancy of Summit County going forward.  Not only did affordable housing provide me with a place to live, it also gave me a sense of security and belonging. It allowed me to engage in my community, reduce my carbon footprint, and ride my bike or the bus to school. My experience highlighted the intersection between affordable housing, community, traffic, air quality, labor, health and quality of life for all Summit County residents.  When Mountainlands Community Housing Trust relaunched the Housing Resource Center in the fall of 2022, I jumped at the opportunity to professionally advocate for affordable housing along the Wasatch Back. In that role, I learned even more about Summit County’s housing challenges and was eager to be part of the solution. My motivation to run for the Summit County Council came from my personal housing experience, my former students, my niece and nephews, and the hardworking people of Summit County. The tremendous opportunity I had growing up here, along with my background in science education and ability to buy an affordable home, has instilled in me a strong sense of responsibility and desire to better serve young people, our workforce, and future generations.  I ran on a future-forward platform centered around sustainability, affordability, responsible growth, and regional collaboration that helps to support a thriving Summit County for all. Affordable housing is at the root of our greatest challenges and, if done responsibly, can provide meaningful and impactful community-wide solutions. Now in my role on the County Council and the Summit County Housing Authority, I am committed to addressing these challenges head-on.   Become a housing advocate Responsible affordable-housing solutions support our workforce and economy, reduce traffic and carbon emissions, and build community by concentrating development where we already have the infrastructure to support it. Creating and connecting walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods on transit and near employment centers benefits all community members while preventing further sprawl and protecting our local environment and cherished open space.  I thank my lucky stars every day for the opportunity I’ve been given to live and work in Summit County. I hope you’ll join me in allowing other community members the same life-changing opportunity that truly benefits all of us lucky enough to call Summit County home. Megan McKenna is a member of the Summit County Council. The post Home for us: I grew up here, and can build a life appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less