Ivory Innovations Brings Affordable Housing to Utah's Most Expensive Real Estate Market

Partnership with City of Francis, Call to Action Foundation and Ivory Homes Delivers Affordable Townhomes in Summit County/Park City Area to Essential Workers

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ivory Innovations, an operating foundation and academic center based at the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business, today announced it will host a grand opening ceremony for the new Innovation Park at Francis Commons development. Innovation Park at Francis Commons brings critically needed affordable housing to the Summit County/Park City area —Utah's most expensive real estate market, where the median home price exceeds $1.6 million. The new development addresses a growing housing crisis in Summit County, where teachers, first responders and local small business employees have been priced out of the communities they serve. It will prioritize essential workers as future residents.

Innovation Park at Francis Commons, created through a partnership with Ivory Homes, the Call to Action Foundation and the City of Francis, offers income-restricted rental townhomes that will potentially save essential workers up to $16,000 annually on housing costs. The event is open to media and will feature Francis Mayor Jeremie Forman, Ivory Homes CEO Clark Ivory and executives from Ivory Innovations. It will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 10 am Mountain Time at the new development, located at 270 Scenic Heights Rd, Francis, UT 84036.

"Essential workers shouldn't have to choose between an hour-plus commute and living in the community they serve," said Clark Ivory. "Innovation Park at Francis Commons is a first step to ensuring that the teachers educating our children, first responders protecting our families and healthcare workers caring for our community can afford to live where they work. This development proves we can create high-quality affordable housing, even in Utah's most expensive markets."

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. These units are also income-restricted, ensuring that they serve households most in need.

A Model for Rural Communities Nationwide
The City of Francis played a crucial role in the project's success, providing expedited approvals and streamlining the development process to ensure affordable housing could be delivered quickly and efficiently. This public-private partnership model demonstrates how rural communities facing similar affordability challenges can address their housing needs.

The Innovation Park at Francis Commons 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. The project aims to build homes while preserving community character by ensuring that essential community members can afford to remain in the area where they work and contribute.

Supporting Governor Cox's Housing Initiative
The development directly supports Governor Spencer Cox's ambitious goal to build 35,000 starter homes in five years through his "Built Here" initiative. As part of Ivory Innovations' broader "Call to Innovations" partnership with the Call to Action Foundation, the project contributes to a commitment to build 1,500 affordable homes across Utah.

"This development exemplifies what's possible when the public and private sectors unite to tackle our housing crisis," said Ashley Hadfield, Chief Operating Officer of Ivory Innovations. "By combining Ivory Homes' construction expertise, philanthropic support from the Call to Action Foundation and proactive leadership from the City of Francis, we've created a replicable model that transforms housing affordability from aspiration to reality."

Key Figures

• $1.6 million+: Median home price in Summit County
• $16K: Potential annual housing cost savings for Innovation Park residents
• 40%: Percentage below market rate for Innovation Park rental units
• 1,500: Total affordable homes planned through the Call to Innovation partnership
• 35,000: Governor Cox's five-year starter home goal for Utah

Each townhome at Innovation Park features smart home technology, private garages and energy-efficient construction—proving that affordable housing doesn't mean compromising on innovation. The development includes a community park with playground facilities and is designed to integrate seamlessly with the broader Francis Commons master-planned community.

The mayor of Francis and spokespersons for Ivory Homes and Ivory Innovations will be available for interviews, and future residents will be present at the event.

About the Partners
Ivory Innovations is dedicated to catalyzing innovation in housing affordability. The organization is both an academic center focused on research and innovation and an operating foundation that implements solutions in the field. As the nonprofit arm of Ivory Homes, it leverages deep industry expertise to develop and scale solutions to the housing crisis.

Ivory Homes has been Utah's #1 homebuilder for 40 years, constructing more than 30,000 homes across the state while maintaining a commitment to quality and community development.

Call to Action Foundation partners with organizations nationwide to address critical social challenges, with housing affordability as a key priority area.

City of Francis is a growing community in Summit County with a proactive city council that is committed to maintaining its small-town character while ensuring housing accessibility for all residents.

About Ivory Innovations
Ivory Innovations is an academic center based at the University of Utah dedicated to catalyzing innovation in housing affordability. The organization works with students, entrepreneurs and experts to source, support, and scale the most promising housing solutions nationwide. Ivory Innovations also puts innovation into practice through its foundation arm, which has more than 1,500 affordable housing units under development in Utah. To learn more, visit ivoryinnovations.org.

SOURCE Ivory Innovations