what practical steps are needed to spur housing production?

SUMMARY

In 2024, czb completed the Housing Onondaga housing analysis for Onondaga County. Housing Onondaga built upon the foundations of the county's new comprehensive plan and czb's work in the City of Syracuse, identifying the city's weak market, a history of suburban sprawl, changing suburban demographics, and unmet rental housing needs as housing challenges for the County to address in the coming decades. The analysis also called for a fresh look at financial incentive programs for housing, local land use regulations governing housing development, and the relationship between the two. Without changes to these systems, it was deemed unlikely that the County would be positioned to support development of the housing units the community expected to need in the coming years. 

In 2025 and 2026, czb will be working with County government and a handful of municipalities to take a look at incentive programs and local regulations related to housing. The ambition of the project is to create conditions in which the private sector can more easily close financial gaps for housing projects that are good for the community.