MORGANTOWN — Morgantown City Council has identified the expansion of affordable housing options as one of its strategic goals.
City Manager Paul Brake is expected to seek approval of a $34,800 expenditure in pursuit of that goal when Council meets in regular session this evening.
The funds will pay Bowen National Research, of Pickerington, Oh., to conduct a housing affordability study for the city.
Morgantown Communications Manager Andrew Stacy explained, “This analysis will explore affordable housing needs and identify opportunities by developing an acute understanding of present and future demand and supply gaps.”
Included in the council packet is a document previously compiled by Morgantown Director of Development Services Chris Fletcher, who points out that Morgantown’s housing market is unique in that it caters primarily to the extremes.
He points out that much like national trends, local prices continue to climb and development is skewed toward the more affluent, with the other primary target of development being WVU students.
“The current housing dynamic has resulted in limited opportunities for all residents of the community,” Fletcher explains.
As a part of the data, Fletcher points to a number of policy options that could increase development, and therefore housing opportunities, through zoning.
Some of the relevant zoning policies that could impact the city’s housing stock include the number of dwelling units allowed in a given lot or parcel or the density allowed in a given dwelling unit, among others.
While Fletcher lays out a number of these options, he notes “these policies will generally include trade-offs.”
The study, which is expected to take between 10-12 weeks, will look at existing housing needs as well as current and future housing trends set against the backdrop of the city’s housing stock. It will also scale projections to consider continued growth and expansion in the area.
“Successful, local, affordable and workforce housing development strategies require community-wide vision, commitment, and resources across private and public sectors,” Stacy said.
Messages left for Deputy Mayor Rachel Fetty and the Community Housing Action Partnership were not returned in time for this report.
