24 Mar 2020 Countywide Housing Study
Client: Planning and Zoning Department, Cherokee County, GA
Services provided: Research and Demographic Analysis, Housing Assessment, and Public Engagement
In 2020, KB Advisory Group assessed the current and future condition of Cherokee County’s housing market and forecasted future housing demand in five-year increments for the next decade.
The Goal
Align future housing development with new employment needs and demographic changes occurring in the County and its cities.
The Work
The firm researched the demographic and household trends guiding the Cherokee County housing market. KB identified the range of housing options needed by geography to identify gaps between future housing demand and the current supply. The analysis included a detailed examination of the housing supply unit characteristics (size, amenities), type, age, and condition. The demand assessment offered occupancy, sales trends, and pricing information. As a result, KB’s work identified a mismatch between the housing stock and local households.
The Context
KB gathered stakeholder information from focus groups, an online survey of local housing preferences, advisory group meetings, and other public forums. During the public engagement, the community discussed housing challenges and provided feedback about the different avenues to solve them. Like similar work in other suburban Atlanta counties, the Cherokee housing analysis included answers to questions such as:
- Is there a market opportunity to allow additional residential development that serves households above and below those price levels?
- Is the area’s housing product meeting the needs of the growing aging population?
- In the context of emerging trends and the increasing number of renters by choice, are there opportunities to expand offerings of quality rental housing near jobs, services, and other amenities?
A Comparative Analysis
The Cherokee housing assessment examined the needs of the entire County and its unincorporated areas. It also included the cities of Ball Ground, Canton, Holly Springs, Waleska, and Woodstock, which partnered with the County for the study. KB looked at peer counties with similar housing market metrics to offer a benchmark for the County. That provided a comparative analysis of economic and demographic indicators driving regional residential trends and the local housing markets. The firm found the relationship between household growth and new jobs skewed toward households, resulting in the housing type mismatch.
Strategic Recommendations
The final KB report included strategic recommendations to accommodate growth. It noted specific actions could address more than one broad recommendation simultaneously. The recommendations included providing more variety of types and improving the prospects for more attainable middle-income housing. Another suggestion was to strengthen the network that assists the lowest-income households locally.
Click here for KB’s 2020 Countywide Housing Analysis and Strategic Recommendations for Cherokee County, GA.
Live link to the Case Study for KB’s 2022 Woodstock Citywide Comprehensive Housing Market Study and Needs Analysis.