For about three years, Britt Blomquist made an hour-plus commute from Provo to Park City nearly every day for work.
Along for the ride were her two little girls, six-year-old AnnaMarie and three-year-old EvaElena, who would attend an area daycare.
“It was a rough life, where we didn't get to spend very much time together that wasn't in a vehicle, and we would get home and have time for dinner, and baths, and bed, and that was about it,” Blomquist said.
It’s a common lament from Utah families who can’t afford to buy homes close to their jobs. But Blomquist’s life has changed since purchasing an affordable home in Silver Creek Village, just outside Park City, through Habitat for Humanity.
Her story was highlighted Tuesday as a dozen volunteers — including Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson — installed drywall on the next phase of the Habitat for Humanity Silver Creek project.
Henderson said she and her team were there for two reasons: to help provide more affordable housing options for Utahns and an opportunity for staff to volunteer in a hands-on way.
“It's really easy to get stuck behind a desk and to think and talk about problems in the abstract, but when you get out into the community and you actually talk to people and you see what's happening and what's going on, see the problems head on, that's when your perspective can change,” she said.
The volunteers are working to complete 10 townhomes in Silver Creek. Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Shelley Barris said once they’re completed, there will be 26 total Habitat homes in the neighborhood.
According to the Utah Department of Workforce Services, about 21,000 people commute into Summit County for work. Barris said that’s why affordable housing is so important.
Blomquist is a perfect example of how affordable housing supports locals. Now that she lives where she works, she has more time to enjoy things she’s passionate about, like baking with her daughters.
“They put on their little chef's hat and their aprons, and we cook together in the kitchen, and it's that kind of meaningful family time that we get to spend together,” she said.
Park City planner Virgil Lund has had a similar experience. He moved into a Habitat home two years ago with his wife, Crystal, and two-year-old daughter Norah. Originally living in the Salt Lake Valley, Lund said he has much more time for his family.
“It's just given us a lot of stability in our life, and has helped us meet a lot of people in the neighborhood, and kind of be more involved in the community too,” he said.
Lund said owning an affordable home rather than renting is also beneficial as it provides more financial stability.
Blomquist agreed, but also had a personal reason for wanting to own.
Throughout her childhood, Blomquist lived in rentals. Each time a landlord decided to sell or raise rent, the family would be uprooted. She said she moved 22 times by the time she was 18 years old.
As a mother, Blomquist said she wanted more stability and a place for her daughters to call home.
“When people say, ‘Where are you from?’ I want them to be able to say, ‘I'm from Park City, I'm from Silver Creek Village,’” she said. “I think it's one of the most exciting things about moving up here is they already do that.”
Applications are open for those interested in joining the neighborhood. Habitat for Humanity applicants must be working full-time in Summit County and have an area median income of 80% or below.
