Courtesy Orem City
This undated photo shows an aerial view of Orem.
Every two years or so, the United Way of Utah County does a community needs assessment. On Tuesday, a portion of the 2022 assessment was presented to the Orem City Council.
Bill Hulterstrom, President and CEO of the United Way of Utah County, told the council that some concerns have changed drastically since the COVID-19 pandemic, and new ones have taken hold.
“Growth has dominated public discourse, and pandemic-related debates have been at the forefront,” Hulterstrom said. “Both affect the wellbeing of children and youth. Yet children and youth are at risk of being forgotten amidst this public debate.”
By far more than any other year, according to past assessments, the greatest concerns in 2022 are; growth, housing and rental costs, traffic congestion, air quality and pollution, depression and mental health.
Areas lower than other years — but still of concern — include drug abuse, condition of roads, jobs and the economy.
For the first time, having not been included in past assessments, LGBTQ issues were of greater concern than mental health and just lower in concern than depression.
Domestic violence and education were rated of less concern than depression. Poverty, hunger and homelessness did not even register with those taking the survey.
“In today’s public square, problems directly affecting children and youth are viewed as less significant,” Hulterstrom said.
When it comes to housing, the survey indicates that household size for owners has remained about the same, but household size for renters has decreased.
“Since 2000, our population has increased by 180 percent,” Hulterstrom said. “From 2007 to 2018, new unit construction permits were lower than in 2006.”
Median home prices of sold homes soared to $510,000 at the end of 2021. Just ten years earlier, the median home price was less than $200,000.
Only 32.5% of families earning median area income can now qualify to purchase a home in the area, Hulterstrom noted. By national rankings, Utah County is one of the least affordable places to buy a home.
The median age in Utah County is 25.0 years. Orem is at 26.5 while the state’s median age sits at 31.1 and the US median age is 38.2 years. Eagle Mountain is the youngest city at 19.0 years while next-door-neighbor Fairfield has the oldest median age of 49.4 years. Provo’s median age is 23.7 years.
Workers are still young with a median age around 31 years old in Utah County.
The growth trend is towards non-family households — young, single, childless professionals.
“Utah’s population pattern has changed from out-migration to retention, natural growth and in-migration,” Hulterstrom said noting there are “more young single professionals than ever before.”
The survey also showed the importance of neighborhood attachment to the strength of the family, neighborhood and community.
The survey shows that as neighborhood attachment increases: Crime decreases, income increases, health outcomes improve, life satisfaction increases and engagement through charitable organizations increases, among others.
“Children and youth with low neighborhood attachments are less likely to succeed in school, more likely to exhibit anti-social behaviors, and more likely to be victims of crime,” Hulterstrom said. “Increasing neighborhood attachment is an imperative.”
Hulterstrom added a plea to the public — people have to make an effort to meet their neighbors.
“I used to sit on my porch and visit,” Council member Debby Lauret said. “Now I just go inside.”
Council member Terry Peterson brought up high-density housing and how it might bring anxiety. Hulterstrom said those in apartment complexes need to be proactive too. “It all takes effort.”
When asked if those taking the survey have people they can count on in their lives, 89.1% said yes. Only 22.5% said they had someone they could count on in their neighborhood.
The study suggests three things a person can do this week to build neighborhood attachment:
- Connect with a child or youth in your neighborhood.
- Show your neighbors they can count on you if they need anything.
- Volunteer to help others be better able to take care of themselves.
“An ideal community response will involve everyone. It is the only way to move the needle,” said Hulterstrom.
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