Housing Needs Assessments

Our housing needs assessments combine extensive economic, demographic, and housing market data with stakeholder interviews, development feasibility analysis, and regulatory review to build a clear picture of a community's housing market and its needs. On the demand side, we start with the key drivers of housing need: economic growth, industrial structure, rates of household formation, and household characteristics like family type and age.

On the supply side, we profile the existing housing stock by type and market segment, track recent development trends, and identify what's already in the pipeline. Market indicators — occupancy, rent and home value growth by housing type, new development patterns, vacancy rates — sharpen the picture of where supply and demand are mismatched. We refine this quantitative picture through structured interviews with local experts, stakeholder focus groups, and survey data.

Once existing gaps and needs are identified, we apply a forecasting model to project future household growth by income, then apply a development lens to understand what the market can realistically provide relative to those incomes, and where other policy strategies are needed to close the gap. From there, we draw on national best practices to build a custom menu of regulatory strategies calibrated to that unmet need.

Throughout, we work with city staff and stakeholder groups to test our assumptions, refine messaging, and help build the champions needed to carry the work forward once the project wraps. Our assessments leave clients with a clear read on which strategies to implement first, and a concrete set of next steps to meet their community's housing needs.