Strengths
- Affordable compared to other markets
- Abundance of land
- Quality of construction
- No dominance of large scale builders/developers (national companies)
- Diversity of builders
- Diversity of housing types
- Greene County = best model for combo of market/regulatory environment
Weaknesses
- Lack of diversity of housing types
- Land development options
- Lack of flexibility/options from a regulatory standpoint
- Lack of creativity in patterns of housing (Innovation in Development Patterns)
- Lack of creativity /flexibility in Planning/Bldg. Regs. Dept.
- Less clarity between subcontractors (disparity in quality)
- Lack of Consistency between City & County and between departments and individuals within city government in the building & development process
- Segregated housing price points (lack true mixed use & interdeveloped housing types)
- Final decision-makers (P&Z Council members) don’t inspect sites for themselves
- Lack of builders license / standards for qualifying to pull a building permit
- Lack of reliable data on vacancy rates/absorption rates in for-sale and for-rent new housing
Opportunities
- Greater regulatory flexibility for mixed use & mixed housing types
- Seek more informed & better trained P & Z/Council members
- Provide training / orientation on the development process (from private sector perspective) to new members of council, P&Z, etc.
- Establish transit-oriented development patterns
- Rising fuel prices = rising density
- Appropriate/Affordable workforce housing = economic development
Threats
- NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) and CAVE (Citizens Against Virtually Everything) attitudes from some in community impact political will to encourage/facilitate building & development
- Requirements that impact affordability at all levels
- Rising fuel prices
