1.1 Local Housing Strategy

What Is a Local Housing Strategy, and Why Is It Important?

A local housing strategy is a roadmap of the policies and programs a local government – such as a city, town, or county – plans to adopt and implement to meet its housing-related policy objectives. It is often summarized in a written document, which can take many forms.

Watch a brief video describing what a local housing strategy is and underscoring its important role in helping localities plan and implement a comprehensive approach to addressing their housing-related challenges. (If you watched this video during the Core Concepts training, feel free to skip ahead.)

Watch this video on the importance of a housing strategy.

Let’s review some of the key themes highlighted by the video. Click each heading to learn more:

A local housing strategy includes at least three key elements:

Clearly defined housing objectives
A broad range of housing policy options for meeting those objectives, ideally drawing upon the strengths of the multiple city or county agencies whose work affects the price, supply or stability of housing
Metrics for measuring progress over time and a mechanism for doing so

An effective local housing strategy is:

Developed with the active collaboration of all of the agencies whose policies affect the price, quality, and stability of housing
Grounded in community engagement
Balanced and comprehensive
Accompanied by an implementation timeline and process for tracking progress toward established policy objectives
Spearheaded by an individual or agency with the authority needed to facilitate interagency collaboration

How Do Local Housing Strategies Differ From Other Required Plans?

Localities typically are required to prepare a range of different plans mandated by states and the federal government that include information about housing. Local housing strategies differ from these other plans in a number of important respects. First and foremost, local housing strategies are not generally required by a higher level of government – they are optional plans that localities choose to develop in order to guide and coordinate their housing policies. This means that localities can use whatever format meets their needs and complements their other planning processes.

The boxes below list some other plans localities typically prepare and note how local housing strategies differ. Even though local housing strategies are distinct from these other plans, there may well be opportunities to repurpose material developed for a local housing strategy to meet one or more of these planning requirements and vice versa. Local housing strategies should be considered complementary and not a substitute for other plans.

As the boxes illustrate, localities will have a range of existing plans to draw and build on in developing a comprehensive local housing strategy.

Comprehensive or General Plan

A comprehensive, long-range policy document meant to guide a locality’s future development, conservation, and other goals. It is often required by state law. In many states, housing is a required “element” of these plans.

The housing element of a locality’s comprehensive plan can be a useful building block for a local housing strategy, but housing elements are rarely as comprehensive as a local housing strategy. Many housing elements focus heavily on land use policy. They do not fully cover how the jurisdiction will use subsidies and other strategies to create and preserve dedicated affordable housing or the jurisdiction’s policies regarding homeownership, eviction prevention, foreclosure prevention, code enforcement, etc.

HUD Consolidated Plan

A plan required of larger cities and counties by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to receive several different federal housing grants, including the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Home Investment Partnerships (HOME), and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) programs. In addition to a multi-year consolidated plan, covered jurisdictions must submit annual action plans.

Typically, Consolidated Plans focus primarily on how the jurisdiction plans to spend CDBG, HOME, ESG, and other HUD funds covered by that plan. Local housing strategies, by contrast, should cover the full range of resources available to local governments, which include resources generated locally, grants and tax credits from the federal or state governments, and housing policies not tied to funding, such as zoning and other land use policy. Local housing strategies may also include policies directed at households with incomes above the income limits for HUD programs.

Public Housing Agency (PHA) Plan

A comprehensive guide to a public housing agency’s policies, programs, operations, and strategies for addressing its target locality’s housing needs required by HUD.

The PHA Plan is the plan for a specific agency – the public housing authority or agency – and the programs they offer, including Public Housing and the Housing Choice Voucher program. A local housing strategy, by contrast, should cover the housing policies of all local agencies that influence the price, quality, and stability of housing.

Continuum of Care (CoC) Plan

A plan required by HUD as a condition of applying for funds through the CoC program. It involves evaluating a locality’s homelessness needs, assessing existing outcomes, and setting goals moving forward.

The CoC Plan is focused on preventing and addressing homelessness. Local housing strategies, by contrast, generally focus on a broader range of housing needs.

Analysis of Impediments (AI) to Fair Housing / Assessments of Fair Housing (AFH)

A plan that localities develop in furtherance of their obligation to affirmatively further fair housing. Typically, the plan identifies and addresses barriers to fair housing choice, such as a history of segregation and discrimination, and steps planned to promote an inclusive community.

As part of the process of developing a local housing strategy, it is important for localities to identify and develop approaches for addressing historical patterns of segregation and discrimination. But local housing strategies also cover a range of additional issues. Local housing strategies are intended to comprehensively address all of the housing challenges facing a community, including challenges related to housing affordability, housing quality, and housing stability.

Click through the slide deck below to see six reasons why a local housing strategy is important.

1. It facilitates a comprehensive approach.

It provides a valuable framework for developing a comprehensive and balanced approach necessary to effectively address local housing challenges.

2. It helps guide local decision makers.

It can identify key policies that need to be adopted or enhanced.

3. It facilitates interagency coordination.

Effective strategies require coordination among the many local agencies that influence the price, supply, and stability of housing.

4. It builds political will.

The process of developing a strategy builds political support for policy change by investigating community needs and aligning stakeholders behind a shared, comprehensive vision to meet them.

5. It facilitates accountability.

By setting and reporting on numerical goals, localities can hold themselves accountable for results.

6. It provides a mechanism for community engagement.

The Needs Assessment and strategy development process provide touchpoints for engaging local stakeholders.

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