Housing Needs Analysis & Strategy

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


* Both surveys are available in both English and Spanish

* A PDF Version of the survey is available here for download. If submitting a paper copy, please drop off or mail it to


Neighborhood Services Department

205 W. Park Avenue, Suite 100

Champaign, IL 61820


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.


* Both surveys are available in both English and Spanish

* A PDF Version of the survey is available here for download. If submitting a paper copy, please drop off or mail it to


Neighborhood Services Department

205 W. Park Avenue, Suite 100

Champaign, IL 61820


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!

  • Community Housing Survey FAQ

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    Below are answers to some frequently asked questions regarding the Community Housing Survey.

    Q: Are paper surveys available for those who do not have access to the survey online?

    A: Paper surveys are available for those who may have trouble accessing or navigating the survey online. A PDF version of the survey is available for download here. Paper surveys can also be picked up, dropped off, or mailed to the the Neighborhood Services Department. The mailing address is:

    Neighborhood Services Department

    205 W. Park Avenue

    Suite 100

    Champaign, IL 61820



    Q: Can I fill out the survey even if I live in Urbana or Savoy?

    A: You can! Residents living just outside Champaign are welcome to also take the survey as most housing experiences are similar throughout the broader community.


    Q: Is there a deadline for participating in the survey?

    A: The survey will remain open throughout the duration of the study. The study is expected to be complete by Spring 2026 with a presentation to City Council of the study's findings.


    Q: Is the survey available in Spanish?

    A: Yes, a Spanish translation of the survey is available. The translated survey can be accessed by pressing the "English-US" dropdown at the top left-hand of the webpage.

    In the GIF, there is a language selector at the top left labeled “English-US.” The cursor moves up to this language menu and clicks it. When the menu opens, “Spanish (Español)” appears as one of the options. The user selects Spanish, and the survey interface immediately updates to reflect Spanish translation.Animation Showing How to Switch between English and Spanish