The Town of Queensbury took a proactive approach on addressing their workforce housing needs. Before they had a housing shortage crisis, the Town sought the advice on how to build housing that is affordable to its working-class households, defined as employed families and individuals earning between $19,000 and $76,000 annually. Crane Associates teamed up with its long-term associates, Economic and Policy Resources, and provided the Town with a fact-based, data-driven report. The report emphasized objective analysis of the data, including observations about population and demographic trends, current employment and income growth, recent developments in housing conditions and housing costs, and a reliable forecast of housing supply and demand within the standard affordability categories of 50%, 80%, and 100% of median household income. The work also involved on-the-ground qualitative observations from credible stakeholders regarding the scope of the municipality’s workforce housing challenges and engaged these stakeholders to create a focused set of actionable strategies.
