SB Friedman completed a village-wide housing needs assessment to identify and quantify unmet housing needs in Glen Ellyn, an affluent bedroom community in the western suburbs of Chicago.
In 2022, the Village engaged SB Friedman, with community engagement support from The Lakota Group, to conduct a housing needs assessment. The purpose of the assessment was to identify housing-related challenges facing the community and quantify unmet housing needs. Our work included:
- Conducting detailed data-driven analyses, including assessments of demographic, socioeconomic and workforce characteristics; the existing housing stock; recent market trends; housing affordability; and cost-burdened households.
- Undertaking robust community engagement, including discussions with a steering committee, community pop-up events, stakeholder interviews, a community survey and a public workshop.
Through a synthesis of the collected information, SB Friedman identified a need for additional housing in Glen Ellyn with a variety of price points and typologies. A more varied housing supply could begin to address the five unmet housing needs identified through the assessment: options for residents to downsize and age in place; housing for people with disabilities; workforce housing; entry-level for-sale homes; and housing for lower-income renters.
Results: Our work outlined initial considerations should the Village choose to prioritize housing production. We presented our findings at a Village Board workshop in July 2023. The information is intended to serve as a resource for elected officials and Village staff as the community explores potential strategies to alleviate housing-related challenges.
Image Source: The Lakota Group