FRANCIS, Utah — The median list price for a house in Summit County, Utah, is more than $1.6 million. The city of Francis is the only suburb in the county experiencing population growth, but teachers, first responders and local small business employees cannot afford housing.

Ivory Innovations, the nonprofit arm of Utah’s largest homebuilder, Ivory Homes, has completed its Innovation Park at Francis Commons affordable housing development. This new development is part of Ivory Innovations’ “Call to Innovation” partnership with the Call to Action Foundation. The partnership aims to address housing affordability by building 1,500 affordable homes across Utah in various housing and commercial developments. This latest development, which is part of Ivory Homes’ Francis Commons subdivision master plan, is designed to address the critical need for affordable housing in Summit County.

“From teachers to first responders, local essential workers need a place to live where they don’t have to commute over an hour to work each way.” -Clark Ivory, Ivory Homes CEO

In support of Utah Governor Spencer Cox’s mission to expand affordable housing in the state, Innovation Park at Francis Commons offers lower cost, income-restricted rental units as well as attainable workforce housing. Almost all of the townhomes at Innovation Park at Francis Commons are priced to be affordable to families earning less than either 60 or 80 percent of Area Median Income. The homeowner selection process prioritizes local workforce including teachers, police officers, nurses and lower income households. This model, which includes private and non-profit organizations collaborating closely with municipalities to offer attainable housing in high value real estate developments, can be replicated across other rural areas.

Supporting Governor Cox’s Affordable Housing Expansion Priorities

This project is part of a larger effort to support housing innovation in Utah under Governor Cox who challenged public and private partners to deliver “starter homes Utahns can actually rent or buy” through his Built Here initiative. As co-chair of the National Housing Crisis Task Force, he is encouraging the development and sharing of housing solutions that can be implemented nationwide. His goal is to add 35,000 starter homes throughout the state in five years.

As a participant in Governor Cox’s recent Built Here Housing Summit, Ivory Innovations is actively coordinating with mayors and local officials across the state to identify and produce affordable housing solutions to tackle the crisis. The Innovation Park at Francis Commons project demonstrates how public-private partnerships between Ivory Innovations, Call to Action Foundation, Ivory Homes and local governments can work effectively to help achieve Governor Cox’s aggressive goal.

“Innovation Park at Francis Commons is a great example of how the private and public sector can work together to implement real-world solutions that tackle the housing crisis.” -Ashley Hadfield, Chief Operating Officer, Ivory Innovations

A Model for Rural Communities

Local support from Francis Mayor Jeremie Forman and the city council has been key to closing the housing affordability gap. From expedited approvals to streamlining the development process, local officials have championed the project to support expanding housing affordability for city residents. Mayor Forman’s commitment has turned state-level priorities into reality for his community.

This new development demonstrates that small rural communities in high-cost real estate markets can successfully deliver affordable housing solutions. The partnership between Ivory Innovations, the Call to Action Foundation, Ivory Homes and the Francis city government has created a replicable blueprint for other mountain communities and expensive rural markets.

• Average list price for house in Summit County $1.6 million+

• Innovation Park at Francis Commons offers residents up to $16K savings per year on housing costs

• Ivory Innovations is building 1,500 affordable homes through its Call to-Innovation partnership

• Rental rates designed to fit essential workers’ budgets

• Part of Governor Cox’s goal of building 35K starter homes in 5 years

About Ivory Innovations

Ivory Innovations is a nonprofit center based at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business that catalyzes high impact innovations in housing affordability. As both an academic center and an operating foundation, Ivory Innovations bridges research and practice to support cross-sector solutions, provide recognition and funding for groundbreaking ideas, and develops affordable housing in Utah. For more information visit, ivoryinnovations.org.