Dr. Stephen Sills (Center for Housing and Community Studies) received new funding from Mid City Redevelopment Alliance, Inc. for the project “CHCS Consulting Services: Market Segmentation Analysis, Neighborhood Housing Assessments, Affordable Housing Strategies, & Community Engagement Plan.”
This proposal was developed by the Center for Housing and Community Studies (CHCS) in response to a request from Build Baton Rouge, the City of Baton Rouge, and the Mid-City Redevelopment Alliance. The project involves compiling, analyzing, and mapping local jurisdictional, state, and national data sources on residential housing and collecting primary data from stakeholders and key informants through public and stakeholder meetings and interviews. A census of housing in one target neighborhood (equivalent to one census tract or about 3,000 housing units) will be conducted. This parcel-by-parcel assessment will cover approximately 50 items from roof to foundation and lot characteristics providing an assessment of the housing conditions in the neighborhood. The census will further be matched with available tax data to create a land-bank or community land trust acquisition plan for the neighborhood, identifying properties rated highly for acquisition, rehab, resale, consolidation, infill development, and other opportunities. We will collect and compile relevant primary and secondary data and conduct a thorough analysis of that data. Drawing upon best-practice models, previous attempts locally to address housing issues, and innovative and emerging methods, we will develop a comprehensive Housing Action Plan for the Baton Rouge recommending a course of action on how to The final deliverable will include a community-informed Housing Action Plan, a Housing Market Analysis, Analysis of Access to Credit, and Acquisition Plan. It will summarize all data sources, and present possible scenarios moving forward including short and mid-term housing development goals.
