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Commission hears housing strategy update calling for roughly 35,700 new units
Summary
City planning staff updated the Commission on a housing strategy tied to Envision El Paso, reporting a study-based need of about 35,731 units (18,300 'catch up' and 17,000 'keep up') and outlining three implementation buckets—process, programs and policy—plus anti-displacement tracking and infill incentives.
City planning staff presented an update July 16 on the housing strategy that will be part of the Envision El Paso comprehensive plan package, describing a data-driven needs assessment and a multi-pronged strategy to address a reported shortfall of housing units across income levels.
Casey Schnell of the Urban Planning and Design Division said the study identifies roughly 35,731 units of total housing need, composed of about 18,300 'catch-up' units to address existing deficits and about 17,000 'keep-up' units tied to projected job growth over the next ten years. Schnell told commissioners the study shows a stagnating population with job growth, an aging population, and declines in housing production that underscore shortages of affordable rental and for-sale units for lower incomes and workforce households.
Schnell outlined three implementation buckets—process changes at the city (for example streamlining permit and review processes), programs (home-repair grants, partnerships with lenders and CDFIs, and incentives) and policy reforms (future land use updates and zoning tools to enable missing-middle housing such as duplexes, triplexes and ADUs). She described an anti-displacement strategy currently under development with a consultant and a tracking tool to identify displacement risk, and noted participation in a national housing supply accelerator to access technical assistance and potential funding.
Commissioners asked about geographic priorities (Schnell highlighted opportunities along transit corridors and larger subareas such as the East Side), financing for potential school-to-housing conversions, and how military households living on base are accounted for in the employment–housing figures; Schnell said she would follow up on specific data questions. A speaker who identified as a long-time participant urged stronger regional coordination among city, county and school districts to improve outcomes and cited persistent affordability burdens.
Why it matters: The strategy frames a policy and program package that would shape zoning, incentives and city-led programs that affect housing production, affordability, and neighborhood stability across El Paso. The next steps include a City Council work session on July 20, community open houses in August, and the council adoption process later this summer.
