The Situation
In 2012 the City of Grand Forks began to address a brewing housing crisis. Residents of the city were frustrated with the rising rent and high prices for starter homes while other residents noted that their homes sold far faster than normal. This conflict led to the City of Grand Forks hiring Praxis Consulting Group to facilitate a Blue Ribbon Commission on Housing task force.
Our Process
Over the course of four months, Praxis led eight meetings, gathered vital strategic market information, and engaged numerous stakeholders to produce a strategy report of action items. This report affirmed the anecdotal data that the city was experiencing a serious, growing, housing shortage. In addition, the report was finished in time for the city’s vital presentations during the 2013 legislative session and summer construction season.
The Outcome
Local leaders cite the market information produced by the project as a key reason for increasing residential construction activity in Grand Forks.