College students and permanent residents in Provo are in search of more ways to address the local housing crisis.
In the General Plan for Moderate-Income Housing Supply and Strategy for 2022-2027, the Provo City Council stated, "Provo faces a serious need for moderate-income housing."
However, as a college town, Provo is presented with unique challenges regarding housing.
Students interviewed shared their dissatisfaction with their housing experiences.
Alli Larsen, a BYU student, explained her experience with a housing management company she was previously contracted with. Over winter break, a flood occurred, displacing around 80 tenants.
"They told us it would be fixed in eight days, but those eight days turned into three months," Larsen said. "There was no help or assistance given to the displaced people."
Larsen's roommate and BYU student Emma White also had negative experiences.
"It's only efficient for the management companies. There is such a demand for housing near campus, and students can't really do anything about it, so it's easy to fill up rooms even when the cost of the rent for these apartments doesn't make any sense," White said.
Larsen said she thinks there are ways to improve the situation.
"There needs to be more communication and some type of standardization of what acceptable housing should look like and cost," Larsen said.
Students were not the only ones to share negative experiences with housing. Young families, such as the Gerharts, searching for housing in Provo, also expressed discontent.
“I would say the hardest thing is competition. There is a lot of demand, and the supply isn't all that good,” Jared Gerhart said.
Jared Gerhart's wife, Emma Gerhart, explained how they decided to purchase a house in a different city.
“I feel like we would have been fine to stay in Provo, but it is very hard to find somewhere good, and everything here is expensive for super rundown. So going out to Mapleton, going out a little farther, there were just more options, better pricing,” she said.
When asked what they would like to see done in Provo, Jared Gerhart gave his advice.
“Don’t use Provo as the place to build multi-family, use it as a starting ground to build wealth. Start with smaller starter homes instead of multi-level apartment buildings. Sell the land," he said.
Kai and Madie Weight, a couple living in Provo, shared similar sentiments.
“Because it’s a college town, and there's such a high demand for housing for students, you never know what you’re gonna get in terms of like, is this house going to be 200 years old? Is it gonna be 5 years old? There’s always going to be someone looking for housing, whether it sucks or not," Madie Weight said.
Kai Weight shared his insight on purchasing a home in Provo.
“Our incentive for getting the house was to potentially rent it in the future to college students, but if you're looking to own a home and stay there for a long time, it doesn't really make sense to buy in Provo because all of the houses are so old,” Kai Weight said.
Real estate agent Devin Durrant said he previously sold real estate in Provo.
“It’s really like any other transaction, just like selling a car or a bicycle. At its simplest form, it’s just a transaction that two parties agree on," Durrant said.
Agreeing with Durrant's views on transaction, Corbin Church, creator of IHub and adjunct professor at the BYU Marriott School of Business, presented a housing project aimed to be a happy medium among the tension in the Provo City Council Meeting on Jan. 13.
This project, set to take place in Timp, Provo, will turn older rental homes into renovated houses. These houses will be sold as owner-occupied homes.
“We will go from zero owner-occupied homes to nine owner-occupied homes during 2026. In speaking with the neighbors, that’s what they want. They want owner occupants,” Church said.
However, Church said he initially wanted to “scrape” the neighborhood.
“I quickly learned from meetings with the city and with the neighbors that that was not a viable option," Church said. "I’ve spent a reasonable amount of time with neighbors and with the city seeking what needed to be done to make everybody happy.”
Recognizing the unaffordability of houses for younger adults, Church plans to build housing with a basement apartment to encourage residents to rent it out.
“I always push the concept of buying a home with a basement apartment and renting the basement (out). Live in the basement apartment, rent the upstairs," Church said. "Let somebody help you pay that mortgage. That same concept is going to be done here. It’s a mathematical sense. It’s a strategy.”
The housing crisis in Provo remains difficult to address. However, as innovative thinkers collaborate with students and permanent residents, many hope to find a balance that works for everyone.