Originally posted on cfra.org

Written by Brian Depew

Housing in small towns would take care of itself, or so I used to believe.

If we could get employment, education, health care, and quality of life right, the market would surely solve housing. In many rural areas, I figured, decades of population decline left more housing stock than people. Certainly a lack of houses wasn’t stopping people from moving to our small town.

I was wrong.

Now I understand the real story. I’ve heard from employers, from young families, and from recent college graduates. We’re interested in moving to your small town, they say, but we can’t find housing. More often than not, they end up living in a nearby larger town with more housing options.

Consider what you can do locally to address this challenge.

Read more...