News & Announcements

Publication Spotlight: 5/2016


Take a look at a recent Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs publication:

Comprehensive Community Housing Study and Needs Analysis by Kathryn Hexter, Kirby Date, Charlie Post, Molly Schnoke, and Ellen Cyran

Document Type: Report
 
Publication Date: March 2016
 
 
Abstract

In the fall of 2014, the City of Kent (“city” or “Kent”), in partnership with Kent State University (“KSU” or “university”), engaged the team composed of Allegro Realty Advisors and Cleveland State University’s Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Centers for Community Planning and Development and Economic Development (collectively the “consulting team”) to create a Comprehensive Community Housing Study and Needs Analysis (“study”). As stated in the request for proposals, the study has three objectives:
  • Provide data that can guide public policy decisions in the area of housing and identify proposed action items that can be implemented to promote the appropriate blend of housing opportunities throughout the city.
  • Provide a measured assessment of housing supply, present and future, unmet housing demand across various demographic categories and provide a comprehensive understanding of short-to-longer term housing supply and demand.
  • Provide community specific housing priorities, policy alternatives and intervention strategies.

This study is composed of a comprehensive report and associated narrative describing the results of the research and makes recommendations for the city’s consideration on how to positively affect the state of housing in Kent. The narrative is supported by a number of appendices that provide more detailed information on select topics and provide the methodologies used to derive certain findings. The report and narrative are divided into five sections that collectively address the three objectives. The sections are categorized as follows:

  • Quantification of the existing housing stock
  • Quantification, analysis and projection of pertinent demographic characteristics of households and economic attributes of the community
  • Examination of the nature and extent of short- to mid-term housing supply and demand and relevant associated metrics and factors
  • Analysis of other relevant housing issues and trends
  • Identification and summation of gaps, trends, anticipated changes, public policy, and action items related to housing stock, demographic and economic condition, housing supply and demand, and other relevant housing topics

The research identified in the study was conducted using various tools and data sources such as aggregating publicly available data and data provided by the City of Kent, Portage County and Kent State University; GIS mapping software; subscription real estate databases; and information collected in interviews, surveys and a community housing forum.

Hexter, Kathryn W.; Date, Kirby; Post, Charlie; Schnoke, Molly; and Cyran, Ellen, "Comprehensive Community Housing Study and Needs Analysis" (2016). Urban Publications. Paper 1345.