WAYNE CO., Ohio — Wayne County is dealing with a housing shortage.
It's something local realtor Gina Chandler sees firsthand.
"We see it in our area for people who are trying to right size," she said. "Homeowners that are trying to downsize and maybe families that are trying to have larger homes. We also see a lot of people moving into the area have homes here available."
The shortage is leading to longer wait times for buyers and bigger battles for the homes that are for sale.
"It usually takes a little bit longer," she said. "But, it is still causing homes to have multiple offers. It would be nice to have a plethora of homes to show people."
That could happen if Wayne County leaders follow the advice of the Next Move Group. The research group presented its findings during a Wayne Economic Development Council meeting this week.
After consulting local home buyers, builders, and other stakeholders, the group found that Wayne County will need to build about 800 homes in the $350,000-$500,000 range in the next five years. Additionally, about 140 homes in the $150,000-$200,000 range will need to be built. Local cities are encouraged to look into rehabbing old homes or repurposing land to make room for these projections.
Wooster's Community and Economic Development Coordinator, Jonathan Milea, said the housing shortage has prevented the city from growing in the last few years.
Next Move Group estimates about 20,000 people travel to work in Wayne County. Milea said the City of Wooster wants that talent to stay within county limits.
"Housing is an incredible piece of that puzzle of attracting that talent while also keeping that talent that we have today," Milea said.
The City of Wooster is already making headway towards the needed housing. Currently, the city is working on 350 units, with 600 more in development.
Another piece of the housing puzzle will be finding land for these new homes. Both Milea and Chandler believe Wayne County has a rich agricultural community and would hate to cut into more of those fields. Both believe a balance can be found to meet the needs of current and future Wayne County homeowners.
"It's a great area," Chandler said. "People who live here love it. It's so exciting that our city and county leadership is working to improve on it."
