COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Columbus Redevelopment Commission has approved funding the city’s first housing study in over a decade.
The commission on Monday voted to authorize up to $150,000 in funding to complete the study, which seeks to assess the city’s existing housing stock, demographics and market demands, as well as identify critical housing gaps and issues.
City officials hope that the study will help elected officials and other stakeholders develop a larger strategy to address the city’s current and future housing needs, said Director of Administration and Community Development Mary Ferdon during the meeting.
The city expects to start the bidding process to hire a firm to conduct the study within the next couple months, with the goal of completing the study by this coming spring, Ferdon said.
The city’s previous housing study was done in 2012.
“A lot has changed in that period of time,” Ferdon said. “…We really want (the study) to be something that we can use both currently and then look at our anticipated unmet housing needs going forward over the next five, 10, 15 years. We believe that if we have a well-done study — which is our goal — it will serve as a platform for some strategy and policy decisions that we make going forward.”
The city of Columbus has grown over the past decade on record, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The city’s population was an estimated 44,306, and there were an estimated 18,084 occupied housing units, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. By 2021, Columbus’ population had grown to an estimated 50,718, and occupied housing units had increased to 20,717.
For the complete story, see Wednesday’s Republic.
