Community Support is Essential for Creating Housing Opportunities

Communities throughout the country are facing a housing crisis either due to a lack of housing units, as the result of prices skyrocketing past the level of affordability, or both. Solving this crisis requires creativity and the support of the entire community. As such, leaders who put forth policies without stakeholder support will find their proposals stalled while leaders who engage stakeholders from the very beginning will have partners willing to help bring about the necessary changes.

Bring the Community Together to Create Housing Opportunities

To ensure the housing strategy you put forward is supported by the community, you must first engage community members and give them a platform to express their needs, wants, and concerns. Through surveys and in-person community meetings, it becomes possible to listen to community members, landowners, and leaders, combining their feedback into a comprehensive report that a strategy can be built upon. 

One example of why this is important is in rezoning initiatives. Current residents, landowners, and stakeholders need to be part of the decision-making process in determining where residential homes should be built and what level of density they want in specific areas of the city. For example, residents may be supportive of high density and mixed-use zoning in the downtown but desire lesser density towards the edge of the city boundaries. Finding out ahead of time will ensure that you have support for any rezoning initiatives, rather than community pushback. 

Community Members Can Contribute To Housing Solutions

Another benefit of engaging community members and stakeholders is that they can help to identify solutions. Once community members are brought into the process they will be more likely to support initiatives that make it possible to build more housing units. For example, major employers may be willing to contribute land for development. Non-profit organizations may be willing to offer in-kind support or project management services. Local contractors may be willing to build a few homes, even if they can’t complete a major development. Churches may be willing to lease some of their extra land so that temporary housing or rentals can be built, etc. You won’t know unless you bring them into the process and ask for their help.

You Can’t Solve the Housing Crisis On Your Own

The phrase, “It takes a village…” can aptly be applied to solving the housing crisis for your community. It will take a concerted effort to engage stakeholders at all levels and bring people together to create plans that will solve your community’s housing shortage. Golden Shovel can help. Contact us today to learn more about our housing services. Or reach out directly to John Marshall, President of Golden Shovel.

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