Omaha Regional Housing Strategy

Omaha, Nebraska

The Omaha-Council Bluffs region, like so many communities across the nation, is facing a housing crisis. Yet the challenge has different facets in different parts of the region. In parts of the urban core, ongoing reinvestment is a boon to the region’s competitiveness, and is creating a new need to plan for inclusive growth. In some neighborhoods, poor housing conditions and instability are endemic. And in almost all parts of the region, many families are severely burdened by housing costs.

Our Approach

As the region looks ahead to the coming decades, leaders in many sectors are working to identify how best to address these housing challenges. What are the current housing needs, how are they changing, and what is needed to meet those needs now and in the future?

It is with these questions in mind that a group of local philanthropic organizations hired Development Strategies to conduct a housing needs assessment, looking comprehensively at Douglas and Sarpy Counties, and the city of Council Bluffs. The goal is to understand the holistic picture of housing needs, and identify opportunities for philanthropy to contribute to part of the solution.