CITYWIDE HOUSING MARKET ANALYSIS RECOMMENDATIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT ROCHESTER HOUSING STUDY WEBSITE

CITYWIDE HOUSING MARKET ANALYSIS RECOMMENDATIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT ROCHESTER HOUSING STUDY WEBSITE (City of Rochester News Release - 07/26/2007)

Mayor Robert J. Duffy today announced the release of the recommendations portion of the Citywide Housing Market Study. The full recommendations portion of the Housing Market Study can now be viewed at www.rochesterhousingstudy.com.

"Now we can embark on formulating a housing policy and continue to ensure that investment is based on community input and thorough data analysis," said Mayor Robert J. Duffy. "The next stage of policy-making will involve taking the Study to residents through public meetings in each quadrant of the city, meetings with neighborhood leaders and other community stakeholders, and working closely with City Council. The recommendations and public feedback will be used to form our new policy. It’s important that we offer everyone a seat at the table as we continue to shape our City’s housing policy."

The Study involved a thorough analysis of the city and its neighborhoods, including research of national best practices, more than 100 personal interviews and several focus groups representing residents, neighborhood leaders, realtors, bankers, developers, City staff, and service providers.

A wide range of ideas and strategies resulted from the Study, including:

• Capitalize on the growing number of people who want to live in the city and provide them with greater range of housing options. Grow and build on successful efforts like the City’s "City Living Sundays" campaign.

• Strategically focus public investment, using an inclusive public process and a consistent process for monitoring trends, to ensure that investments are having the intended impact.

• Build on the City’s considerable Brownfield redevelopment successes. Lobby Albany for additional resources to provide developers with the resources and technical assistance to continue our Brownfields recovery.

Sign up for announcements and email reminders at the Study website, www.rochesterhousingstudy.com.