Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
JASPER – Dubois Strong released a new countywide housing study Tuesday that assesses home sales, rental housing, affordability and what the county’s housing needs will be in 2035.
The Dubois County Housing Study, funded by Grow Dubois County and executed by RDG Planning & Design, is built on a variety of data to form a picture of the Dubois County housing market today. The study lays out recommendations the county, cities, and community partners can take to begin building an affordable, safe and sustainable housing market for all.
Dubois Strong met with Amy Haase of RDG Planning & Design – a national consulting firm – as well as local community leaders for four housing study listening sessions in May 2023. Builders and developers, real estate agents, members of the local lender community, major employers, and social service agencies convened at the Vincennes University Jasper campus to discuss the trends, challenges, and needs they have seen in the county housing sector.
This study follows the 2015 Dubois County Housing Strategy and the 2019 Indiana Uplands Regional Housing Study.Â
The study reports Dubois County’s housing market faces affordability and availability issues due to a lack of housing variety. The predominant focus on single-family homes and limited rental housing options hampers flexibility. To create a healthier housing market, the communities in Dubois County need to provide diverse ownership choices that accommodate residents’ evolving needs, from apartments to family homes and downsizing options as residents age.
Economic growth in Jasper
The need for housing is strongly tied to the county’s economic growth trends.
Jasper, the largest city in the county, is a manufacturing and commercial hub. A strong local job market has been averaging just under 1.75% annual growth since the 1990s. Continued growth is expected and the city’s population is expected to exceed 19,500 by 2035 if the current growth continues. The study reports the need for a variety of housing is crucial to meet the growing population.
Housing demand could require over 2,900 units by 2035 if the county grows by 1%, but just over 2,200 if the growth rate is 0.75%.
The study also examined affordability.
- Nearly 15% of renters in the county are cost burdened
- Approximately 38% of Dubois County homeowners are also burdened by housing costs.
- Approximately 37% of households make less than $50,000 a year
A shortage of rental housing was also identified in the study. A survey was conducted with the county’s largest landlords and property managers, yielding seven responses. The survey sample reported a 1.4% vacancy rate.
- 75% of the surveyed units were 1- or 2-bedroom units in multi-family structures.
- 57% of respondents stated it takes less than a week to find new renters for vacant units.
- The most frequent rental range for multi-family units was $500 to $800.
Strategies included in the new study explore how the local governments, organizations, builders, and other influential partners can work together to meet the housing needs in Dubois County.
View the full study here.
For more information on Dubois Strong and their current economic development efforts, email [email protected] or call its offices at 812-482-9650.