Understanding Your Market: Housing Needs Assessment and Data-Informed Planning

Welcome to all current participants in HAC’s Rural Capacity Building Programs, Round 4 and Round 5.

Applications are due December 31, 2025.

Understanding Your Market helps rural housing and community development organizations gain a clear picture of their local housing needs and use that information to guide future decisions. This opportunity is designed for rural organizations that want to strengthen their planning, improve program design, and communicate their impact with confidence.

HAC will work directly with your team to complete a full housing needs assessment that combines primary and secondary data. Together we will look at affordability, availability, housing quality, population trends, and the unique conditions shaping demand in your community. Your staff will gain a deeper understanding of what is happening in your housing market and why it matters for your mission.

After the assessment is complete, HAC will help you translate the findings into a practical action plan. This plan can strengthen future funding applications, inform development decisions, guide service expansion, and provide a strong foundation for your organization’s next several years.

What your organization will gain

• A complete housing needs assessment tailored to your community
• A summary of survey responses and other primary data
• A clear and usable action plan for the next phase of your housing and community development work
• Staff who better understand how to use data in decision making
• Stronger positioning for future projects and funding opportunities

Participation expectations

Participating organizations should have at least three staff members who can engage consistently across meetings, data collection, and planning discussions. The project typically lasts four to six months and requires an estimated 40 to 80 hours of staff time. Three organizations will be selected.

Selection criteria

Priority is given to organizations that demonstrate:

• Clear alignment between the assessment and future organizational goals
• Staff capacity to support data collection activities
• Leadership commitment to acting on the results
• A desire to strengthen long term planning and resource allocation
• Engagement in housing and community development activities that would benefit from a data-driven approach

This opportunity is open to all current participants in HAC’s Rural Capacity Building Program, Round 4 and Round 5.