Area-Wide Housing Studies

S. Patz & Associates prepares comprehensive housing studies for state agencies, regional planning commissions, housing authorities, counties, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations. These assignments examine housing conditions across a defined geography, identify unmet demand, analyze market and demographic trends, and provide actionable recommendations to guide future residential investment and policy.

Every study is custom-built. We work closely with each client to understand their goals, the questions they need answered, and how the findings will be used, then design the scope, depth, and structure of the analysis accordingly.

What These Studies Cover

While each engagement is tailored to the client’s needs, a comprehensive housing analysis typically draws on quantitative data, stakeholder interviews, employer outreach, and community surveys to evaluate conditions across the full housing market. Common analytical components include:

• Demographic and household trends, including population change, age distribution, household size, and tenure patterns
• Economic conditions, including employment by sector, labor force characteristics, major employer activity, and economic development initiatives
• Rental market analysis, including occupancy rates, rent levels, income restrictions, pipeline developments, and gaps in supply across product types
• For-sale market conditions, including home sales trends, median price trajectories, available inventory, subdivision activity, and attainability for workforce and senior households
• Housing affordability analysis, including cost-burdened and severely cost-burdened household estimates by tenure and income
• Substandard housing conditions and the age and quality of the existing housing stock
• Site and building identification for infill, rehabilitation, and new construction opportunities
• Financing tools and program eligibility, including LIHTC, New Markets Tax Credits, Opportunity Zones, and other federal and state incentives
• Conclusions and prioritized recommendations for housing investment, zoning reform, and public-private collaboration

Who We Serve

Our clients include town and county planning departments, regional planning district commissions, community development organizations, housing authorities, and nonprofit housing partners. Studies are frequently commissioned to support comprehensive plan updates, housing needs assessments required for funding applications, economic development strategies, and community revitalization efforts.

How Findings Are Used

The results of our area-wide studies support a wide range of decisions, including housing policy development, tax credit and grant applications, local zoning and land use reforms, and broader planning and economic development initiatives. Our reports are written to be accessible to elected officials, planning commissions, community stakeholders, and the public, while maintaining the analytical rigor expected by state agencies and funding bodies.