Leo lived in a bright city near the ocean where the streets were always busy. Kids played in the park, families walked to the bakery, and neighbors waved to each other every morning.

Leo loved riding his bike around the neighborhood. He knew every shop, playground, and almost everyone that lived on his street.

His best friend Sofia lived two buildings down. They raced their bikes after school every day to the corner store. The man who worked at the store always smiled. "Back again?" he would laugh as they picked out their treats.

One morning, Leo woke up and saw something strange. A house down the street started floating slowly into the sky. He blinked and rubbed his eyes. The house kept rising, higher and higher, until it drifted away.

What's that?

"Do houses... usually do that?" Leo asked his mom. "No," she said quietly. "But sometimes they do when they become too expensive"

The next week another home floated away further down the street. This time, something replaced it. A tall, shiny building with glass windows rose where the old house once stood. No one Leo knew moved into it.

Soon, more homes floated away and more expensive buildings took their place. 

Sofia came over looking worried one afternoon. "My parents say our home might float away too" she said. Leo felt a knot in his stomach. "Why is this happening?" he asked.

Leo's parents explained that more and more people wanted to live in the city but there were not enough homes for everyone.

"When there aren't enough homes," his dad said, "prices go up." His mom added "and some builders make more expensive homes to make more money."

As time passed, the neighborhood began to change. One day, Leo rode past the corner store. The lot and windows were empty. There was a big sign on the door that said CLOSED.

CLOSED

A few weeks later, a new store opened. It was big with bright lights and expensive things inside. Leo went in, but it didn't feel the same. The man who used to smile and joke with him was gone.

The neighborhood wasn't empty. But it didn't feel like home anymore. More friends moved away and more homes floated away. Leo continued noticing that the houses didn't disappear forever. They were being replaced by homes only some people could afford.

One evening, Leo went with his parents to a neighborhood meeting. Families talked about the homes that had floated away and all the people they missed.

Some people had ideas. "What if the city made rules to keep the homes affordable?". "Maybe there could be limits on how much rent can go up," someone said. "And maybe we could build more homes that families can afford," said another.

But not everyone agreed... Some builders didn’t want new rules because they would make less money. Some leaders worried fewer buildings would be built. And some neighbors felt nothing would ever change. Overall, the park was filled with different opinions and many important people

The neighbors continued talking through it and spoke to city leaders about making changes. They asked for rules to protect families and asked for more homes people could afford. The neighbors wrote letters, spoke at city meetings, and kept showing up. 

Builders and landowners fought back, wanting to keep on developing larger and more profitable properties.