(Milford)– A housing study is underway in Milford. Charlie Cowell of RDG of Des Moines is heading up the study. He gave an update at Monday’s City Council meeting. He says it’s still very early in the process, but already some themes are emerging…
“We’re three sessions into it of some small group listening sessions, so it’s a little premature to get too far into what we’re finding but there’s definitely some themes unfolding. One that is pretty clear is there’s just a lack of options. Inventory is low, there’s demand for being here, being in Milford, and in the region, and there’s a lack of options for those folks looking to come, to move here, and we’ve heard firsthand examples of that.”
Cowell says it’s a similar situation in a lot of other areas…
“It’s pretty common all across the Midwest and where we work. The thing that’s going to be unique is how do we, why is it happening, and here, and everywhere. It’s unique, the reasons, and the solutions are going to need to be unique as well.”
Cowell says the study in Milford is three-pronged…
“One is going to be a data analysis of just looking strictly at the data, census data, realtor data, other sale data of what’s been happening over recent years in Milford. The second part is hearing from the community, so that’s really why we’re doing a lot of these small group discussions. We’ll be releasing a survey and finding out what the perceptions are on the ground, what people are experiencing in the housing market, and then the third part is setting the city up for the future. So what are some strategies, what are some items that maybe the city and its partners can look at to address the findings and start to meet the needs of the community.”
Cowell adds that addressing the problem is going to come to more than just the city being involved…
“It’s never any more just the city doing it. There’s always somebody else involved whether it’s a nonprofit organization, an economic development group. We’ve seen employers get involved in helping fund or provide support. So there’s always more than one entity involved and that’s going to need to be the case here as well.”
Cowell says the study will be completed by the end of the year.
