The Upjohn Institute has recognized housing as a vital component of economic and business development throughout the last 30 years. As housing has become more of a challenge statewide for employers and communities, Upjohn has expanded its focus to include comprehensive housing plans. These housing plans gather data on current conditions, estimate future needs, and recommend strategies to help communities meet their housing goals.
The Regional and Community Development Team has worked with numerous communities to help them decide the best steps to resolve their housing concerns. The Team uses income trends, price index, relative affordability, and development pace data to create an assessment of current housing conditions. The Team then builds on the housing assessment by examining factors contributing to supply and demand and projecting needed supply for different price points. The quantitative data is combined with information from public surveys and local stakeholders. These surveys also provide unique opportunities to hear from more residents than would be possible in typical public meetings This combination of quantitative and qualitative data allows the Team and local leaders to better understand housing forces within a community. To ensure the plans are utilized to their fullest potential, proven methodologies and strategies are identified as next steps.
You can find these housing plans located here