Mapping out the Housing Ecosystem

Mapping out what this housing ecosystem looks like in each community can help EDDs understand the gaps in their communities’ responses to housing challenges. Many of these questions can be used to better inform a regional CEDS Summary Background at the onset of the CEDS planning process. Questions to ask include:
  • Which communities in the region have existing housing planning in place?
  • Do the recommendations in these plans assign specific tasks or action items to specific responsible entities?
  • Are there common gaps across each city or county in the region that the EDD can fill?
  • Is there a unique gap in one community that the EDD can fill that isn’t needed in other communities in the region?
  • How do housing challenges in the region change from community to community?
  • Are the existing entities sufficiently meeting the needs of residents?
  • How large is the regional gap in affordable housing? Can you back up this gap with data?
  • What can the EDD do within its defined scope and capacities to meet unmet needs?

As each region is different, and within each region, each community’s needs are different, each EDD will find different ways to support member communities in meeting unmet housing needs. Answering these questions can help an EDD enter their region’s housing responses and help communities navigate this web of entities, funding sources, federal or state requirements, and rapidly changing market conditions in a way that connects economic development and housing development.

The next section of the report will feature EDDs and regional development organizations (RDOs) across the country who have worked with local stakeholders and identified specific roles and niches that their organizations can fill within their local and regional housing response ecosystem. The case studies will show how these organizations found their specific role including what metrics or strategies they used to find these roles, the actionable strategies they have used to make a lasting impact in their region, and what outcomes or goals they have met through this work.

Solving The Housing Puzzle (Main)

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