Housing Needs Analysis & Strategy

Share Housing Needs Analysis & Strategy on Facebook Share Housing Needs Analysis & Strategy on Twitter Share Housing Needs Analysis & Strategy on Linkedin Email Housing Needs Analysis & Strategy link

No one understands Champaign’s housing challenges better than the people who call the city home. Share your input by taking the survey today.



Row of colorful houses facing a green lawn, sidewalk, and residential street with cars.Nationwide, there is a record-breaking number of individuals and families who are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain housing, whether renting an apartment or buying a house. Additionally, an increasing number of residents are becoming burdened by the cost of decent and safe housing. The City of Champaign is currently conducting a Housing Needs Analysis and Strategy to understand these challenges better. The purpose of the Housing Needs Analysis and Strategy is to understand and quantify Champaign's housing needs and propose a variety of strategies to meet them. In Champaign, the housing stock does not adequately meet the needs of residents, evidenced by the following data points:

This infographic presents key housing statistics from 2015 to 2025. Home prices increased by 63%, rising from $143,983 to $234,967, while market-rate rents rose by 57%, from $881 to $1,383 between 2015 and 2024. In 2024, only 23 single-family homes were permitted—the lowest number since 1967. As a result of rising housing costs, 55% of renters are cost-burdened, meaning they spend 30% or more of their income on housing. Additionally, the 2025 Point-In-Time Count reported 355 individuals experiencing homelessness, underscoring the growing housing affordability crisis.

Row of 3-story apartment buildings facing a residential street with an MTD bus.Issues in Champaign’s housing supply can be attributed to the increased cost to purchase and rent, a decrease in housing construction numbers, and a lack of housing choice and variety. This project will assess Champaign's housing stock and affordability levels and generate strategies to meet the identified housing needs in the form of tailored policies, programs, and initiatives. The Housing Needs Analysis and Strategy is being conducted with the assistance of a consulting firm, RDG Planning & Design.


What will be learned through this analysis?

  • Champaign’s existing conditions in terms of housing stock, affordability levels, and resident demographics.
  • How much housing is needed to fill these gaps in demand, and what type of housing would best fit residents’ needs.
  • How to meet the identified housing needs with local strategies, recommended policies, and available funding sources.


We want to hear from you!

For this project to be successful, we need to hear from you! Take our online survey!

No one understands Champaign’s housing challenges better than the people who call the city home. Share your input by taking the survey today.



Row of colorful houses facing a green lawn, sidewalk, and residential street with cars.Nationwide, there is a record-breaking number of individuals and families who are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain housing, whether renting an apartment or buying a house. Additionally, an increasing number of residents are becoming burdened by the cost of decent and safe housing. The City of Champaign is currently conducting a Housing Needs Analysis and Strategy to understand these challenges better. The purpose of the Housing Needs Analysis and Strategy is to understand and quantify Champaign's housing needs and propose a variety of strategies to meet them. In Champaign, the housing stock does not adequately meet the needs of residents, evidenced by the following data points:

This infographic presents key housing statistics from 2015 to 2025. Home prices increased by 63%, rising from $143,983 to $234,967, while market-rate rents rose by 57%, from $881 to $1,383 between 2015 and 2024. In 2024, only 23 single-family homes were permitted—the lowest number since 1967. As a result of rising housing costs, 55% of renters are cost-burdened, meaning they spend 30% or more of their income on housing. Additionally, the 2025 Point-In-Time Count reported 355 individuals experiencing homelessness, underscoring the growing housing affordability crisis.

Row of 3-story apartment buildings facing a residential street with an MTD bus.Issues in Champaign’s housing supply can be attributed to the increased cost to purchase and rent, a decrease in housing construction numbers, and a lack of housing choice and variety. This project will assess Champaign's housing stock and affordability levels and generate strategies to meet the identified housing needs in the form of tailored policies, programs, and initiatives. The Housing Needs Analysis and Strategy is being conducted with the assistance of a consulting firm, RDG Planning & Design.


What will be learned through this analysis?

  • Champaign’s existing conditions in terms of housing stock, affordability levels, and resident demographics.
  • How much housing is needed to fill these gaps in demand, and what type of housing would best fit residents’ needs.
  • How to meet the identified housing needs with local strategies, recommended policies, and available funding sources.


We want to hear from you!

For this project to be successful, we need to hear from you! Take our online survey!