CommunityScale

Regional Housing Study for the Elkhart-South Bend region

Client Michiana Area Council of Governments, Indiana
ServicesHousing study, Dashboard
TimelineMarch – December 2024
DeliverableRegional Housing Study

CommunityScale is wrapping up a Regional Housing Study for the Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG). The study covers Elkhart, Marshall, and St. Joseph Counties (including most of the South Bend-Elkhart metro area). These counties include a wide variety of urban, suburban, and rural communities, each facing unique housing challenges.

The Study includes Housing Needs Assessments for each county individually as well as the region as a whole. These assessments provide perspective on housing markets, need, and production goals to help inform local policymaking. The study concluded with a strategy toolkit and implementation plan intended to foster increased housing production across the region.

Outcomes include a digital suite of community engagement tools and resources designed to help the public understand and engage with the study’s findings. These include an online dashboard and a package of social media cards to accompany the client’s digital campaign (examples below).

Jeff Sauser

Jeff Sauser, co-founding Principal at CommunityScale, has over 10 years experience leading urban design and planning projects for public and private sector clients in complex urban contexts across the country. His work emphasizes the role of housing policy and production in driving economic development progress and creating opportunities for socioeconomic mobility across the community. He is particularly interested in applying emerging big data resources and AI tools to help clients and communities plan smarter and more proactively.