Iowa Housing Needs Assessment: Key Issues and Indicators

Swenson, David A.; Logan, Amy

December 2009

This report considers housing needs throughout the State of Iowa as commissioned by the Iowa Finance Authority for purposes of its annual needs report to the Iowa General Assembly. The study identified ten indicators that contribute to housing need or surplus as related to population growth, housing unit supply, and housing value. The individual indicators were then analyzed together to create a composite index. It is hoped that this study will provide a useful tool to better understand the complexity of issues contributing to housing needs across the State of Iowa. In addition to the housing needs composite, the study considers the demographic, economic, and housing characteristics and trends of the states Council of Government regions as well as its metropolitan regions.