Council hears housing study update: demolition, rehab and tiny‑home subdivision among ongoing tools

City planning staff reviewed the city’s housing needs assessment and recent actions the council and staff have taken to address housing supply and blight.

City planning staff summarized building permit history over the last decade: from 2015 through 2024 the city permitted 466 new housing units (199 single‑family, 51 duplexes and 165 units in multiplexes). Since the study closed, the city permitted an additional 42 single‑family homes, 16 duplexes and 48 multiplex units.

What staff said: planning staff said the housing study recommended establishing housing production goals and considering a range of financing and incentive tools to support affordable and workforce housing. Staff said the city has supported affordable developments without direct monetary contributions to date — citing Parkview Terrace phase 2 as an example — and emphasized that raising production goals would require decisions on how involved city government should be in development.

Blight and vacant properties: staff discussed ongoing demolition and housing rehabilitation programs and code enforcement actions. Planning staff said the demolition grant program has removed a handful of blighted properties and that code enforcement and the courts are used for chronic violations. Council members and staff said Kirksville’s blight inventory remains higher than typical for a city of its size, and that multiple approaches are necessary.

Dogwood (tiny‑home) subdivision and land‑banking: staff said conversions and projects such as the proposed Dogwood Subdivision (a tiny‑home project on a former mobile home park) are examples of work underway. Staff are also exploring land‑bank options and partnerships with community action agencies to expand rehabilitation reach and promote owner‑occupied rehab.

Council direction and next steps: several councilmembers asked staff to return with concrete housing production goals for the next budget and to provide options for increasing participation in the rehabilitation program, including working with local nonprofits that already serve target households. Staff said capturing renovation activity through remodel permits and targeted surveys could help quantify how many existing homes have been rehabilitated and brought back into supply.