Ohio Housing Needs Survey

aerial view of a neighborhood to show housing

The 2014 Ohio Housing Needs Survey (OHNS) contacted a random sample of Ohioans to obtain information regarding their current housing situation and to inquire as to the desirability of homeownership. The goal of the study was to provide hard data about the housing market – past, present, and future.

Telephone interviewers collected general demographic information, data regarding personal finances, the cost and condition of their current housing, opinions on the desirability of homeownership, and related information. Extra interviews were conducted in the eight-county region (Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Guernsey, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe, and Noble Counties) that constitutes areas with the highest volume of horizontal shale drilling activity, commonly known as "fracking," and included questions on how the energy industry has impacted their housing choices.

This project was funded by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA), which facilitates the development, rehabilitation and financing of housing for low- and moderate-income Ohioans.