Harrison Township, Montgomery County, Ohio, is seeking proposals from qualified consulting firms to conduct a Comprehensive Housing Market Analysis and Property Reuse Guide to assist with Neighborhood Stabilization efforts. This analysis will provide a detailed assessment of the current housing market in Harrison Township, offering insights that will inform future housing policies and development strategies. The project will also include an assessment of Township and Land Bank owned properties, leading to the development of a property reuse/redevelopment strategy. This project is funded in part by Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), and all proposals must comply with local, state, and federal requirements - including 2 CFR Part 200.
The Consultant shall provide professional services to establish a functional program implementing the Township’s land acquisition, dispensation, property stabilization and code enforcement policies. This effort is necessary to achieve goals originating from the 2020 Strategic Plan, and further identified in the 2022 Development and Land Use Plan to stabilize neighborhoods by addressing vacant, abandoned, and deteriorating residential properties.
This implementation program carries on the work completed by Harrison Township, the Montgomery County Land Bank, and organizations like County Corps, to remove blighted structures and reinvest in the local neighborhoods. This is the next step in ensuring a legacy of attention and investment in these neighborhoods.
Per a recently adopted Development Plan, the goal is to maximize the potential of the properties and enable the Township to facilitate a better use as a means of reducing budgetary strains and creating positive tax revenue for the community. In return, the Township can focus on services and programs that continue to support Township residents.
The Consultant will provide services that directly impact these issues by analyzing the township’s current portfolio, land bank properties, and tax delinquent, underutilized or abandoned properties categorizing properties, recommending specific programs for implementation of disposition, create a property management system and process that township staff can maintain. The Consultant will also draft applications for the recommended disposition programs and marketing materials to advertise disposition programs to residents.
The Township will collaborate with the Montgomery County Treasurer, Montgomery County Auditor, and Montgomery County Landbank to process delinquent and abandoned properties quickly through various available programs. The purpose is to get those properties back into the hands of responsible individuals who will invest in the community and create new housing diversity to meet the community’s needs.
The selected consultant will be responsible for delivering a comprehensive report that addresses the following sections:
1. Executive Summary
o Provide a concise overview of the housing market analysis, summarizing key findings and recommendations.
2. Demographic Overview
o Analyze population trends, household composition, education levels, and income distribution within Harrison Township.
o Include projections for future demographic changes that may impact housing demand.
3. Affordable Housing Analysis
o Evaluate the current affordable housing stock and identify any gaps or unmet needs.
o Assess housing cost burdens across different income levels and highlight any special populations with significant housing challenges.
o Analyze the risk of expiring subsidies for federally subsidized housing units.
4. Market Rate Housing Analysis
o Conduct a segmentation of the housing market within Harrison Township, classifying areas based on their market characteristics.
o Analyze the condition and age of the existing housing stock, identifying areas that may require significant maintenance or modernization.
o Review recent home sales trends and mortgage origination patterns to assess the health of the market-rate housing sector.
5. Property Reuse Strategy
o Provide a comprehensive assessment of current and future Township and Land Bank owned properties, classifying them into new land dispensation categories for reuse.
o Develop a Property Reuse Strategy that includes establishing a Property Watchlist Database and creating processing procedures/template for ongoing identification of properties suitable for intervention, stabilization, or repurposing.
o Create promotional materials and a mapping inventory of available lots, along with land purchase options for Township-owned properties.
6. Policy Recommendations
o Based on the analysis, provide targeted policy recommendations that Harrison Township can implement to address identified housing challenges.
o Recommendations should consider best practices from similar communities and be tailored to the specific needs of Harrison Township.
o Consider recommendations for infill and mixed use strategies that expand the township’s tax base while stabilizing and strengthening legacy neighborhoods.
7. Conclusion
o Summarize the key findings of the analysis and outline the next steps for Harrison Township in implementing the recommended policies.
o Include suggestions for ongoing monitoring and future research as necessary.
8. Appendix
o Provide any additional data, charts, maps, or supplementary information that supports the analysis.
o Include a glossary of terms, detailed methodology, and references as necessary.
Access the full request at https://www.harrisontownship.org/443/Bids-and-Proposals