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Urbana planning staff introduce housing needs study, ask residents to take survey

Urbana Zoning Board of Appeals · April 17, 2026

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Summary

Urbana Community Development Services staff introduced new planning personnel and urged all residents to complete a city housing needs survey open through April 30 to help the regional housing needs assessment required by the city's comprehensive plan.

Olivia Jovine, director of Community Development Services, used the zoning board meeting on April 15 to introduce new planning staff and to announce the Urbana housing needs study, a qualitative and quantitative assessment conducted with the regional planning commission.

Jovine said the study will augment census and other data with resident responses and invited all Urbana residents — homeowners, tenants and people experiencing homelessness — to complete the survey by April 30. "That information will be very critical because it'll help augment the census data and other quantitative data points that we have with that personal qualitative touch," Jovine said. She noted the housing needs study was one of the first tasks identified in Urbana's comprehensive plan adopted in July 2025.

Staff also said the department is preparing a statement of economic interest reminder for commissioners, explained filing options and deadlines, and noted the recording secretary is on medical leave. The director said staff will begin recruitment to fill vacancies on the commission and can add a study session on bylaws and procedural updates if commissioners wish to mark up the current bylaws ahead of formal action.