Tri-County Launches Housing Project for Greater Lansing Region HousingDrives to Provide Assessment of Current Housing Market
LANSING, Mich. — The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (Tri-County) is conducting a housing assessment for urban, rural, and suburban communities throughout Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham counties. HousingDrives intends to help local stakeholders better understand and address the existing trends and barriers of the housing market in the Greater Lansing region. Once completed, the outcomes can be used by community leaders to make informed decisions about investing in housing for all residents.
Tri-County is offering a information gathering survey at surveymonkey.com/r/HousingDrives through Friday, April 15 to gather residents’ experiences with housing in their communities. Feedback from the survey will be used to supplement a data-driven assessment of housing at the neighborhood, city, and regional scale and help develop a strategy with specific policies addressing the region’s housing needs. The results of HousingDrives will help to identify critical gaps in housing networks and establish areas of opportunity for targeted investment and strategic planning.
“Housing drives so many aspects of our daily lives — from our financial health and economy to our quality of life and the well-being of our families and neighbors,” said Executive Director Jim Snell. “We’ve heard from our community that our region does not have the attainable housing that current and future residents desire. This assessment will help to pinpoint where policy needs to change, and areas where investments need to happen.”
Tri-County has partnered with Development Strategies and Piper & Gold to help analyze housing data, conditions, and policies, and support engagement opportunities with local stakeholders and the public.
In addition, this work is supported by a steering committee whose members have a broad range of perspectives and experience spanning across housing development, advocacy, real estate, higher education, finance, and workforce development.
This project is part of TriCounty’s ongoing work to ensure the economic vitality and meaningful development of the region’s urban and rural communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is HousingDrives?
HousingDrives is a regional housing assessment of urban, rural, and suburban communities in Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham counties. The project’s goal is to identify the diverse housing needs of current and future Greater Lansing residents, and then learn what the region can do to address those challenges and opportunities.
Ultimately, we want to help our communities and decisionmakers better understand the existing trends and barriers of the housing market throughout the Greater Lansing region so, together, we can create housing that is attainable for all walks of life and types of communities.
We will assess data at the neighborhood, city, and regional scale about the housing market and available stock to geographically visualize where our region lacks and thrives in housing types and conditions. We will also work to identify development policies and community priorities that encourage meaningful planning of and investment into housing developments. Using this data collection and public and stakeholder feedback, HousingDrives will recommend strategies and best approaches to fill these gaps in our housing needs while considering the unique qualities offered by each of our different communities.
What is “attainable” housing?
Attainable housing is an umbrella term that reflects the aspects of a home which make it suitable for a household. If a home is considered attainable housing, it’s appropriate in size, type, quality, affordability, tenure, and location for a household in that geographic area.
More housing terms:
Who is the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission?
The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission is a public planning agency established in 1956, serving Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham counties in Mid-Michigan. Tri-County makes our region a more prosperous community by planning for a strong economy, reliable transportation, and sustainable infrastructure and natural resources.
We connect local organizations and governments to funding, technical assistance, data resources, and opportunities to discuss trends and challenges affecting the Greater Lansing area. Learn more about TriCounty’s current projects at= mitcrpc.org/currentprojects.
Who is involved with HousingDrives?
HousingDrives is supported by a 16-member steering committee whose members have a broad range of perspectives and experience spanning across housing development, advocacy, real estate, higher education, finance, and workforce development.
Tri-County has partnered with Development Strategies, a St. Louisbased planning firm, to analyze housing data, conditions, and policies to make recommendations for regional strategies that will improve housing quality and availability. Piper & Gold, a public relations firm located in Lansing, will also be supporting HousingDrives by coordinating engagement opportunities with local communities and partner organizations.
HousingDrives also relies on community participation, primarily through a housing survey. Residents of the region will be invited to share their housing needs, preferences, experiences, and challenges, which will complement what is learned through secondary data sources.
Why should I care about HousingDrives?
Housing drives so many aspects of our daily lives in the tri-county region — from our financial health and economy to our quality of life and the wellbeing of our families and neighbors. Housing affects all of us!
The data and results of this study will assist local governments, housing and real estate developers, and community organizations in making informed decisions about planning for and investing in suitable housing for all residents. The possibilities are endless!
The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission connects local organizations and governments to funding, technical assistance, data resources, and opportunities to discuss trends and challenges affecting the Greater Lansing area.
Learn more at www.mitcrpc.org.
