Counties for Housing Solutions
Author
Patrick Spence
Housing is a key component of economic mobility, yet continues to be a challenge for many residents. NACo’s Counties for Housing Solutions (C4HS) program offers free three-month technical assistance sprints to address this challenge by helping counties increase local housing supply. In partnership with Smart Growth America, these sprints are designed to be high-intensity and implementation-focused and will draw upon recommendations made by NACo’s 2023 Housing Task Force.
NACo has opened applications for its second Counties for Housing Solutions sprint, which will run from April 1 until June 17, 2025. NACo will select six teams from counties with populations above 200,000 to form this sprint cohort. Applications are due Friday, February 28 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Selected county teams will work through a step-by-step plan to:
- Identify available land
- Evaluate site selection
- Plan community engagement activities
- Partner with potential developers, and
- Identify financing for affordable housing development on underdeveloped land.
Applications due February 28
All interested counties with populations above 200,000 are encouraged to submit a complete application to join the upcoming Counties for Housing Solutions cohort. If you have questions about the application, please register here to attend an information session on Thursday, January 23, 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET.
About Counties for Housing Solutions
From September-November 2024, NACo supported six counties’ efforts to develop underutilized, county-owned land as affordable housing.
Counties participating in the first sprint include:
- Guilford County, N.C.
- Harris County, Texas
- Hidalgo County, Texas
- Jackson County, Mo.
- Salt Lake County, Utah
- Shelby County, Tenn.
Future sprints in late 2025 will help additional counties benefit from the recommendations of the Housing Task Force.
Counties for Housing Solutions is part of Counties for Economic Mobility, a National Association of Counties initiative for county leaders to advance equitable upward economic mobility to move individuals and families out of poverty. Counties for Economic Mobility supports a range of activities to drive data-driven and community-informed policymaking in county government.
Other Counties for Economic Mobility Programs
Counties For Economic Mobility Leadership Advisory Council
The National Association of Counties (NACo) is partnering with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to advance equitable upward economic mobility through the Rural Leaders for Ecnomic Mobility and Counties for Housing Solutions programs - advised by the Leadership Advisory Council (LAC).
Rural Leaders for Economic Mobility
NACo is partnering with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to create a peer-learning opportunity for rural local leaders to advance equitable upward economic mobility to move individuals and families out of poverty.
Economic Mobility Resource Hub
Explore these resources to promote inclusive economic prosperity for county residents.