Research, Data & Tools
Access trusted research, data, and tools to better understand housing needs, track trends, and inform solutions across the Northern Shenandoah Valley. These resources support local decision-making on key issues such as affordability, rural housing supply, manufactured housing, aging in place, and housing stability.
Housing Research
Reports, Studies, Analysis
Policy research, zoning studies, and housing affordability analysis (more info)
Virginia Housing Research & Reports
Statewide housing needs assessments, market studies, and strategic reports (more info)
Virginia Housing Alliance Reports
Policy analyses, district housing profiles, and advocacy research (more info)
HUD User (PD&R) - Research & Publications
Comprehensive research library covering housing markets, homelessness, fair housing, and community development (more info)
Joint Center for Housing Studies (Harvard)
Authoritative reports such as State of the Nation's Housing and rental affordability studies (more info)
Urban Institute
Research on credit access, affordability, racial equity, and homeownership (more info)
National Low Income Housing Coalition
Flagship reports including Out of Reach (rent affordability gap analysis) (more info)
Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation (
Research on affordable housing preservation, equity, and development impacts (more info)
AARP (Aging in Place Research)
Housing for older adults, livability, accessibility, and aging-in-place strategies (more info)
Manufactured Housing Research (HUD & Lincoln Institute)
Studies on mobile/manufactured housing performance, affordability, and land use (more info)
Data
Datasets, Indicators, Metrics
Virginia Open Data Portal
State datasets on housing, demographics, and economic indicators (more info)
Virginia Housing Alliance - Housing Profiles
District-level data on affordability, income, and homelessness (more info)
HousingForward Virginia - Sourcebook
Regularly updated housing metrics and indicators for Virginia (more info)
HUD Data Catalog
Comprehensive federal housing data repository with detailed metadata (more info)
Homlessness Data (HUD AHAR & PIT Counts)
National and regional insights into housing instability (more info)
U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
Essential local-level data for cost burden, housing supply & tenure, population and demographic trends (more info)
Tools
Housing Tools & Dashboards
Virginia Zoning Atlas (HousingForward Virginia)
Parcel-level zoning data across Virginia, critical for understanding supply constraints (more info)
HousingForward Virginia Tools & Playbook
Includes policy tools, resources, and housing dashboards (more info)
Virginia Housing Alliance Federal Funding Tracker
Dashboard showing how federal housing resources flow into Virginia communities (more info)
HUD Open Data & GIS Tools
Interactive maps of housing programs, affordability indicators, and development patterns (more info)
National Housing Preservation Database (NHPD)
Tracks affordable housing inventory and properties at risk of losing affordability (more info)
Neighborhood Opportunity Tools (PAHRC)
Mapping tool linking housing to education, transportation, and economic opportunity (more info)
NAHRO Housing Data Dashboard & Impact Tools
State-level dashboards on federal housing investments and program outcomes (more info)
Location Affordability Portal (HUD)
Compares combined housing + transportation costs (more info)
Eviction Lab (Princeton University)
Eviction trends and housing instability data (more info)