Residential parking requirements are a key reform identified by recent Vermont studies as a means of improving access to new housing. The cost of required parking spaces increases housing costs and rents. Estimates of the cost of a single parking space range from $5,000-$80,000/space depending on the location of the space (with space in parking structures at the higher end of the cost range).
A housing needs assessment, or an HNA, is a powerful tool in understanding and communicating the housing needs of a community and it's people. The HNA itself can serve as a point-in-time of current housing conditions, useful both in explaining current trends, as well as acting as a reference point in the future. A Housing Needs Assessment frames the housing discussion by posing questions such as: