FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
After two public meetings, a public survey and a driving assessment of nearly 48,000 housing structures, City of Springfield Planning & Development staff and APD Urban Planning + Management will host a meeting 6-7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 at Ozarks Technical Community College’s Lincoln Hall, 815 N. Sherman Ave., to present the findings of the Springfield Housing Study and recommended strategies for stabilizing and improving neighborhoods and housing.
A series of stations will be set up for viewing before and after the presentation summarizing findings and recommendations. The presentation portion of the meeting will be recorded and posted at cityview.springfieldmo.gov as soon as possible after the meeting concludes.
Earlier this year, APD drove Springfield neighborhoods with a 360-degree camera, surveying nearly 48,000 housing structures to gather information about housing conditions, age and values; vacant buildings and lots; characteristics of the neighborhoods in each City Council zone; the gap between housing/rental prices and incomes; and the types of housing in Springfield.
What we’ve learned so far:
- 92% of housing in Springfield are single family residential.
- The most common multifamily housing type is duplex.
- Multifamily homes are primarily located near Missouri State University.
- 97% of all housing structures are occupied.
- Vacant residential lots can be found in most neighborhoods.
- 77% of all housing is in good condition.
- 21% of all housing structures are in fair to worse condition.
- 44% of all housing structures were built between 1950 and 1970.
- 21% were built between 1980 and 2020.
- 30% were built between 1840 and 1940.
- Housing structures in Zone 1 (northwest quadrant of the city) have a broader range of conditions.
- Attendees of the February housing study community meeting listed townhomes, starter homes, workforce housing and tiny homes as housing types missing from Springfield neighborhoods.
- Attendees of the February community meeting listed the following as strengths of Springfield neighborhoods: neighborhood establishment, community engagement, historic homes, diversity in housing, neighborhood character, accessible/walkable communities, affordable homes, transit-oriented development, quality schools and parks/greenspace.
- Weaknesses were ineffective landlords, unaffordable housing, lack of viable rental housing, lack of variety in housing types, vacant housing, blight and decay, walkability/connectivity, development/preservation.
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For more information and to view the presentations and videos from the previous two meetings, visit springfieldmo.gov/housingstudy. Media contact: Cora Scott, 417-380-3352.