Potential Solutions
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Potential Solutions *
Adaptive Reuse and Infill Development was the Highest Rated Solution by Community Members.
Adaptive reuse and infill development emerged as a highly rated solution by community participants because it balances growth with preservation of local character. These approaches focus on revitalizing underutilized buildings, redeveloping vacant or underused parcels, and adding housing within existing neighborhoods rather than expanding outward.
Participants appreciated that infill and adaptive reuse can create smaller, more attainable housing options—such as apartments over storefronts, conversions of large homes, or redevelopment of vacant lots—while making efficient use of existing infrastructure like roads, water, and sewer.
This strategy also helps support walkable communities, strengthens downtowns, and preserves farmland and open space, aligning with residents’ desire to thoughtfully meet housing needs without changing the feel of their communities.
Preserving Existing Homes Through Rehab and Repair
Existing home rehabilitation and repair was also viewed very positively by community participants because it strengthens neighborhoods while preserving the homes that already exist. Investing in repairs and updates helps homeowners, especially seniors and households with limited incomes, remain safely in their homes, preventing displacement and reducing the risk of properties falling into disrepair.
Rehabilitation can also improve energy efficiency, lower utility costs, and extend the life of older housing stock. By maintaining existing homes, communities can protect neighborhood character, stabilize property values, and avoid the higher costs associated with new infrastructure.
This approach was seen as a practical, cost-effective way to increase housing stability and affordability while supporting long-term community vitality
Starter homes, senior-friendly housing, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) were also among the most popular options identified by community participants.
These housing types provide smaller, more attainable choices that better match today’s household sizes and changing demographics. Often requiring smaller lot sizes, they can fit more naturally into existing neighborhoods while offering flexibility for first-time homebuyers, older adults looking to downsize, and families seeking multigenerational living arrangements.
ADUs, in particular, can create opportunities for aging in place, rental income, or housing for caregivers and family members. By allowing modestly sized homes on smaller lots, communities can expand housing options in a way that is thoughtful, cost-effective, and responsive to local needs
Starter & Senior Homes and Auxiliary Dwelling Units
Communities across the country are using tools like inclusionary zoning, mixed-income housing, and “missing middle” housing to expand attainable housing options.
Inclusionary zoning encourages or requires a portion of new development to be affordable for households with a range of incomes, helping ensure that growth benefits the whole community.
Mixed-income housing integrates homes at different price points within the same development, supporting economic diversity while avoiding concentrations of poverty. Missing middle housing refers to smaller-scale housing types—such as duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, cottage courts, and small apartment buildings—that fit within existing neighborhoods and provide options for seniors, young workers, and smaller households.
Together, these approaches help communities increase housing supply, support local employers, and create neighborhoods where people at different life stages and income levels can afford to live.
Inclusionary Zoning, Mixed Income and Missing Middle Housing
Community land trusts and rental cooperatives are innovative models that help preserve long-term housing affordability and expand local ownership opportunities. A community land trust is a nonprofit organization that acquires and holds land to ensure it remains affordable over time. Homes on the land can be rented or purchased, but resale restrictions keep prices within reach for future households, preventing displacement and maintaining community stability. Rental cooperatives, or co-ops, are housing communities owned and governed collectively by residents. Instead of renting from a landlord, residents share responsibility for management and decision-making, which can reduce costs and build community connections. Both approaches help create stable, attainable housing options, support local residents, and ensure that housing remains affordable for generations.