Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br /> STAFF REPORT <br /> <br /> <br />TO: Mayor Fischer and Members of City Council <br /> <br />FROM: Ben Harrington, AICP, Community Development Director <br /> <br />DATE: February 26, 2025 <br /> <br />RE: Draft 2025 Little Canada Housing Study <br /> <br />ACTIONS TO BE CONSIDERED <br />Informational only as the City Council prepares for the upcoming Strategic Planning Retreat on <br />February 28 and March 1. <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br />Staff have completed a 2025 Little Canada Housing Study, which provides a comprehensive analysis <br />of the city’s population demographics, housing stock, housing market, and land use patterns. The study <br />also offers regional context by comparing Little Canada to nine reference communities and includes <br />spatial analysis of housing dynamics within the city. This study was historically budgeted for <br />completion, and was instead, completed in-house with no consulting fees or costs. <br /> <br />This study is data-driven, containing over 40 tables and maps, and spans approximately 50 pages. <br />While a full read is not expected, the Executive Summary and Key Findings sections provide the most <br />essential takeaways. For ease of navigation, the document includes a hyperlinked table of contents and <br />table of figures. <br /> <br />Rather than prescribing specific policy recommendations, this study is intended to serve as a <br />foundation for future planning efforts, including zoning code text amendments, area plans, strategic <br />planning, and the forthcoming 2050 Comprehensive Plan update. <br /> <br />At the February 13, 2025, Planning Commission meeting, the draft 2025 Little Canada Housing Study <br />was presented and reviewed. At the meeting, key findings, next steps, and discussion ensued. <br /> <br />DATA <br />Data in this study comes from a few sources: <br />1. American Census Bureau <br />a. ACS 5-Year Estimates (updated to 2023 data from 2022 data shown in the original <br />Databook) <br />b. 2000 and 2010 Decennial Censuses <br /> <br />2. Ramsey County <br />a. Assessing and GIS data. <br /> <br />3. Saint Paul Area Association of Realtors (SPAAR) <br />a. Annual sales reports. <br /> <br />4. Metropolitan Council <br />a. Used available data on housing affordability. <br />