DESCRIPTION

Livingston County, NY sought a comprehensive housing market needs assessment and analysis, recognizing that in the modern age of economic development, there must be a focus on attracting people and talent as much as attracting firms. Moreover, housing is a key factor in a community’s quality of life, while blight and disinvestment have direct implications for communities’ revenue and ability to maintain excellence in service delivery. Livingston County, like many rural communities, has a disproportionate concentration of older and monochromatic housing stock, and is affected by rising prices of the larger Rochester metro area.

Livingston County engaged MRB Group to undertake an analysis of its housing market and to develop strategies for housing that meets the needs of its current and future residents and workforce, as well as people with special needs (the elderly, people with disabilities, victims of domestic violence, those in recovery from substance abuse, parolees and probationers, etc.).

MRB Group developed a data-driven housing market analysis informed by the County’s economic and demographic trends, and identified strategies that the County and its local partners will undertake to shape the housing marketplace. MRB reached out to variety of housing developers, both to understand their perspectives on the Livingston County market and to test possible housing strategies.

For this project, MRB undertook significant community engagement, interviewing municipal leaders across the County, code enforcement officers, and residents. MRB spoke with a wide range of agencies that work on housing and homelessness issues, as well as many of the clients they serve, which helped inform MRB’s understanding the needs Livingston County faces in ensuring safe, affordable housing for all its residents.

RESULTS

MRB Group provided Livingston County with a market-tested strategic action plan to stimulate housing growth and housing product diversification in high-demand areas, to address the housing needs of vulnerable population segments, and to counter and mitigate the effects of blight and disinvestment. MRB Group recommended specific housing products, pricing, and locations based on its market analysis. The strategy identifies sources of funding for implementation as well as developers that would be suited to various projects. Livingston County and its local government partners have a comprehensive, shared understanding of their housing stock and housing market, as well as the economic and demographic trends that will shape its future, and are well-positioned to take targeted steps to influence needed housing development and ensure that it meets the needs of the County’s future residents and workforce. The full report is available at: https://tinyurl.com/3ynutdrb.