Housing in NW Arkansas subject of group’s study

A group supported by the Walton Family Foundation hopes to document the housing market for Northwest Arkansas residents and to propose ways to address problems such as affordability as the area grows.

The group plans four public hearings in Fayetteville, Bentonville, Rogers and Springdale as part of its effort. The hearings will have information on housing trends in the region and will allow residents to speak about housing challenges in their communities.

The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville’s College of Business, the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, Enterprise Community Partners and the Walton Family Foundation are partnering on the study. Enterprise, a nonprofit group focused on developing affordable housing and neighborhoods for low- and moderate-income people, was selected to participate after a national search.

Liz Alsina, senior program officer with the foundation’s personal philanthropy group, said she hopes the exercise will provide a comprehensive look at the region’s current housing market that can be layered with the projected growth to devise a long-term plan for responsible growth.

“I think we wanted to make sure this was a community-embedded process. There’s a really special feeling to public meetings like these, when community members come together in a larger setting,” Alsina said.

The team also will be holding focus groups and has already done several individual interviews with stakeholders including mayors, chamber of commerce officials, public-housing officials and developers.

A 21-member housing committee is advising the group and will help shape the plan, Alsina said. Findings from the study are expected to be released by the end of the year.

“The meetings are structured to be very interactive. This is not a lecture format, but rather it’s going to focus on engaging those present” through breakout sessions and small group discussions so everyone’s voice can be heard throughout the process, she said.

Translators will be on hand for Spanish speakers who want to participate.

“The goal is to define an approach for responsible regional housing growth over the next 10 years that is inclusive of the needs across all income levels,” said Celia Scott-Silkwood of the Regional Planning Commission.

Where residents choose to live is one of the most important factors to their quality of life, according to the Walton Family Foundation. The choice can affect commute times to work, access to public transportation, shopping and services, neighborhood, school and family activities, community amenities such as parks, swimming pools, bike trails and sports fields. Where people live also affects monthly expenses and financial security.

Information on housing trends in the region will be presented at the public meetings.

According to the foundation, 27 percent of Northwest Arkansas residents are “cost burdened” when it comes to housing, meaning they spend 30 percent or more of their monthly income on housing.

And more than 1 in 10 households in the region are said to experience “housing insecurity,” meaning they spend more than half their monthly income on housing.

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