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Affordable Housing Needs Assessment

“Housing in Tompkins County should be affordable and appealing to all residents, regardless of their income or whether they rent or own their homes.”
– Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan Housing Principle

The Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan that was adopted in 2004 included an action item to conduct a housing needs assessment to use as a basis to guide development of affordable housing that meets local needs. The Tompkins Planning Department retained the services of Economic and Policy Resources to conduct a countywide needs assessment and affordability analysis. The Assessment documents current housing, economic, and demographic trends in the County and forecasts the number of housing units that will need to be added to the current supply to meet the needs of our population in the next decade. Background data collection was completed in the fall of 2005 along with a stakeholder presentation to discuss preliminary findings. Final analysis and recommendations were compiled and presented at another stakeholder meeting in May 2006.

A healthy regional economy depends not only on jobs, but also on places for the workforce to live and contribute to the community. When workers live closer to their jobs they reinvest a larger part of their income in the local economy, commuting traffic decreases along with public infrastructure costs to maintain the roadways, and workers are able to spend more time with their families and become more involved in their communities. Providing a mix of quality housing choices that are affordable to households across the income spectrum is a key ingredient to maintaining vibrant communities.

To view the Affordable Housing Needs Assessment or one of the appendicies click on one of the links below:

Affordable Housing Needs Assessment (August 1, 2006)

Appendix 1	Economic and Demographic Overview (.pdf)
Appendix 2	Zoning and Vacant Land Analysis (.pdf)
Appendix 3	Economic and Demographic Forecast (.pdf)
Appendix 4	Long-Term Housing Demand Forecast (.pdf)
Appendix 5	Supply Update Description (.pdf)
Appendix 6	Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Analysis (.pdf)
Appendix 7	Existing Housing Programs (.pdf)
Appendix 8	Affordability Calculations (.pdf)
Appendix 9	Model Housing Tools (.pdf)
Appendix 10	Single Family Home Sales Profile (1998-2004) (.pdf)
Appendix 11	Slide Shows from Public Presentations (.pdf)

Printed copies are available for a nominal fee.

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Tompkins County
Planning Department

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121 E. Court Street
Ithaca, New York 14850

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Phone: (607) 274-5560
Fax: (607) 274-5578

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