“My name is Greg Cronin. I’m 55 years old, married to my wife Kimberly, and together we’ve raised four hardworking children. Like many parents, we believed that if we lived responsibly, worked hard, got educated, and contributed to our communities, our children would have a fair shot at the American dream—especially homeownership. We moved to Utah six years ago, just before COVID. Since then, the housing market has completely outpaced reality. My adult children—college-educated, skilled, empl...”
My name is Greg Cronin. I’m 55 years old, married to my wife Kimberly, and together we’ve raised four hardworking children. Like many parents, we believed that if we lived responsibly, worked hard, got educated, and contributed to our communities, our children would have a fair shot at the American dream—especially homeownership.
We moved to Utah six years ago, just before COVID. Since then, the housing market has completely outpaced reality. My adult children—college-educated, skilled, employed, even running small businesses—earn moderate incomes around $70,000 per household. Yet homeownership anywhere near their family or community is out of reach. Starter homes now cost $500,000 or more—nearly six times their income. Even with two incomes, the math simply doesn’t work.
As a parent, that’s devastating. Not because my children aren’t trying—but because the system no longer rewards responsibility. They feel transient, unable to put down roots, unsure whether they belong in the communities they serve. This isn’t just a housing issue; it’s a social one. When families can’t anchor, communities weaken.
Housing has become a speculative commodity instead of a pathway to stability and liberty. Excessive regulation, restrictive zoning, corporate buyers, and build-to-rent models are crowding out the next generation.
We need change—innovative building, smarter planning, fewer barriers, and policies that prioritize people over speculation. I’m ready to fight for that change, and I hope others—parents, leaders, and citizens—will rally with us to make homeownership attainable again for the generation we love most.