Specifications include, but are not limited to: The Comprehensive Housing Needs Assessment will be designed to provide a thorough analysis of the demographic and housing landscape within the city, and utilize a range of data sources and existing plans to inform strategic decision-making. It should analyze the most recent census data, capturing historic data from the past ten years, to understand current populations and identify future expectations. In addition to a demographic depiction, the assessment should capture a comprehensive review of the existing housing stock and affordable housing inventory across the city, encompassing both market-rate and affordable housing units. The Fair Housing Plan represents an existing assessment identifying the City’s demographics and housing in comparison to the region, and should be leveraged. Other useful resources may include the City’s Inclusionary Zoning inventory, a redacted data set of Chelsea Eats participants (representing a snapshot of almost all residents at or below 30% AMI), recent affordable housing development projects conducted by independent entities, and the Chelsea Housing Authority’s Capital Improvement Plan. Consultant(s) are also encouraged to utilize recent academic research that may aid and further strengthen the analysis. An assessment of housing needs should reflect the context of existing and future demographic conditions. Thorough analysis of future population projections over the next five years, the projection should seek to understand how economic dynamics and regional factors will shape the demand for housing within the city. The analysis will take into account regional growth factors, such as economic development initiatives, infrastructure projects, and population migration trends that are expected to influence the city's demographic landscape. By citing Donahue and existing state pop projections produced by the state, the analysis can capture the totality of the regional impacts on the City, and reduce data gathering burdens. While the City is interested in learning the natural progression of migration, and its expected impact on the community, it is also mindful of gentrification risks. The study should review recent and current gentrification experiencing and migrations trends, also depicted in the Fair Housing study. The review will ideally pair the analysis with a case study that exemplifies successful local efforts in curtailing equitability concerns, within the context of an urban, majority minority community. By understanding these broader trends, the assessment will provide a context-sensitive outlook on how the city's population is likely to evolve. Furthermore, the assessment will delve into the economic status of future residents, considering factors like income levels, employment opportunities, affordability challenges and gentrification risks. The Comprehensive Housing Needs Assessment shall aim to explicitly define the number and types of housing units that the city currently needs and will require to meet its population projections, and address gentrification risks. As part of the determination, the City is especially interested in confirming all housing across the City, including affordable housing by Inclusionary Zoning (IZ), affordable housing developments, use of Section 8 vouchers, Project Based Vouchers, mixed-income developments, naturally occurring affordable units, and market rate units. Beyond identifying the number of units, the assessment should further consider the size, age, condition, and location of such units. The review should encompass key aspects of existing and suggested housing inventory, including but not limited to: 1. The number of housing units available within each category; 2. Area median income (AMI) designation of residents in each housing category, providing insights into income demographics, cost burdens, and affordability levels; 3. Location of housing units, considering geographic distribution and accessibility to amenities and services; 4. Size of housing units, ranging from studio apartments to multi-bedroom units, to assess suitability for different household compositions; 5. Age of housing units, indicating the vintage of properties and potential maintenance or modernization needs; 6. Condition of housing units, evaluating factors such as livability, safety, and compliance with building codes and standards. A key aspect of the projection is breaking down population expectations and goals into specific Area Median Income (AMI) brackets, notably the 30%, 50%, 80%, 100% and 120% AMI brackets. This breakdown will serve to enable a targeted analysis of housing needs and affordability requirements for different income groups. Additional consideration should be given to density of affordable housing, and Fair Housing protected classes of age and people with disabilities. The review will ensure that the assessment captures the diverse housing demands within the city, from affordable housing options for at-risk populations to market-rate housing for higher-income individuals and families. Finally, the City is interested in the added value and potential revenue associated with the various housing types, including projected market-rate rents, including the relationship to locations within Chelsea and its neighborhoods. This assessment will allow the City to balance its affordable housing needs with its revenue and economic development initiatives, and offer insight for local decision makers when looking to approve housing and other development projects.
