The City of Albany Housing Audit is the first in-depth evaluation of how the city has responded to residents’ housing needs and how it plans to address current challenges and opportunities in housing development.

In recent years, concerns have grown regarding affordability, availability, and long-term community impact. While updated inclusionary zoning laws and a vacancy study have helped clarify some housing issues, questions remain about the true scale of the problem. For example, a 2024 vacancy study determined the city did not meet criteria to declare a housing emergency or enact rent stabilization, yet affordability concerns persist.

The Housing Audit will comprehensively examine the city’s housing market from 2019 to the present, including the impact of policies such as rent stabilization and inclusionary zoning. It will also assess the effectiveness of current strategies, explore redevelopment and blight reduction efforts, and provide a clearer understanding of housing supply, demand, and affordability. The audit will generate the data and analysis needed to inform future housing and economic development strategies.

Impact or how it will be measured:

The audit will rely on questionnaires, interviews, data collection and analysis, and a review of past reports, legislation, and development plans. Findings will be made publicly available and will include actionable recommendations to guide housing policy.

The audit will focus on six core questions:

  1. What is the current state of the housing market? Are we facing a crisis, and if so, how severe is it?

  2. How has the housing market evolved over the past decade?

  3. How have state and local policies affected the housing market, and how might they shape the future?

  4. What strategies are being implemented to address housing needs and challenges?

  5. What housing development priorities and opportunities exist?

  6. What actions are being taken to address blight and encourage redevelopment.

As the first comprehensive analysis of the city’s housing stock, this audit will equip policymakers, stakeholders, and residents with the tools needed to address housing challenges more effectively now and in the future.