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KEARNS — The Field of Dreams community in Kearns has experienced twists and turns as it has evolved and taken shape.
Salt Lake Valley Habitat for Humanity in 2015 acquired the 2-acre parcel where the 20-unit development is forming, and the COVID-19 pandemic slowed construction considerably when it hit in early 2020.
"Donations stopped. Plywood was $80 a sheet," up from the usual $30, said Ed Blake, the CEO of the nonprofit organization.
Nine years later, though, 14 units are occupied, two more are done and ready for new homeowners, while the remaining four units are under construction and nearly complete. What's more, the organization — geared to working families in need of affordable housing — is eyeing development of two sites in Magna, one that can accommodate six homes, the other big enough to hold 33 houses, according to Blake. Work on the six-parcel Magna lot could start this coming fall with the 39 units possibly done within three years.
"We're in the best condition the organization has ever been," he said.
Things took a step forward on Tuesday when the newest Field of Dreams residents — Hassan Sheikh, his wife Farhiya Abdi and their three young kids — received the keys to their new home. Another Field of Dreams resident took ownership of their home last week, while two other families moved into homes in late February.
"It feels like a dream coming true," said Sheikh, standing in the unfurnished living room of the new home while friends and Habitat for Humanity officials celebrated the moment. He and his family have been living in apartments, and without the beneficial terms of the Habitat for Humanity program, homeownership likely wouldn't be possible.
Salt Lake Valley Habitat for Humanity, one of five Habitat for Humanity operations in Utah, won't resolve the state's affordable housing crunch by itself. Demand far exceeds the number of homes the organization can build. Habitat officials, though, are doing what they can — over the years, the organization has found homes for 111 families — and Blake said ideas to address the housing issue are needed.
"There's not enough money in government to fix affordable housing. So, we need to come up with better ideas to fix our housing crisis," he said. Salt Lake Valley Habitat for Humanity serves Salt Lake, Tooele and Davis counties.
Notably, the organization is serving a growing number of naturalized U.S. citizens, immigrants from around the world who have resettled in Utah. Sheikh and Abdi are originally from Somalia, though they've been here for 17 years. Other Field of Dreams residents come originally from Ethiopia, Sudan, Russia and Kenya.
"They've always been part of our program, but we're seeing more of an influx," Blake said.
The diverse demographics of the Salt Lake Valley Habitat for Humanity residents didn't happen by design, he said. In initial screenings, Habitat for Humanity officials are focused more on the work history and creditworthiness of applicants. "It's just how it happened. We're blind to all of this," Blake said.
Habitat for Humanity sells homes at cost with no-interest, 30-year mortgages, making ownership attainable to families that might not otherwise have the financial wherewithal to acquire a house.
'Our forever home'
The Field of Dreams community sits on land once filled by two baseball fields in the middle of a modest Kearns neighborhood. When Habitat for Humanity acquired the land, paying $265,000 for the two acres, it had been largely ignored for some time and was "an absolute mess," Blake said.
The design and other features of the homes are meant to conserve energy to lower the owners' utility bills. They also come with oversized, trough-like planters where residents will be able to raise their own produce, also helping trim costs. To the rear of the 20 units, built around a half-oval, sits a shared open area — for now a muddy construction staging area — that will eventually become a grassy area for children. A playground and basketball and pickleball courts are also taking shape.
Significantly, the design and size of Field of Dreams is meant to encourage a sense of community. Most other Salt Lake Valley Habitat for Humanity homes are scattered around its coverage area.
When Blake "first embarked on developing this site, he envisioned more than a row of homes. He wanted to foster a community in which people would get to know each other, become friends and be there for each other," Habitat for Humanity said in a statement to KSL.com. Based on feedback from residents "we believe we've hit that mark."
Muslima Noorow, who moved into a home in Field of Dreams with her husband and son last November, gives the community high marks. Like Sheikh and his family, Noorow and her family — on hand for Tuesday's key handover ceremony — lived in rental units before home ownership and had no feasible route to home ownership.
"This is the house where we can raise our children. We can call it our own home, our forever home," she said.
Abdi offered similar sentiments. "Nobody knows the future, but that's what we're hoping," she said.
