Council approves Professional Services Agreement with Freese and Nichols for a Housing Assessment and Neighborhood Plans (ADA, OKLAHOMA/April 20, 2023) ? During the City Council Meeting on Monday, April 17, the council unanimously voted to award Freese and Nichols a Professional Services Agreement to provide a housing assessment and neighborhood plans in the amount of $217,000.00 to address housing needs and the vision for Ada?s future. The City of Ada is experiencing challenges related to a shortage of quality housing options for its residents. In addition to the lack of new housing stock, the City is concerned about the condition of existing dwellings within the jurisdiction. Freese and Nichols has been engaged to evaluate existing conditions, understand the market forces at play in the community, and develop a sound, actionable Housing Assessment and Strategy (Task 1) to address the matter. Several Neighborhood Plans (Task 2) will accompany the Housing Assessment and Strategy. These plans will focus on the immediate implementation of recommendations from the Housing Assessment and Strategy. Each neighborhood plan will include an evaluation of existing conditions, demographics, and themes that express the community?s shared vision for the future. Recommendations and an action plan related to Land Use, Transportation and Mobility, Housing, Community Character and Urban Design, and Public Facilities and infrastructure will be developed for each neighborhood plan identifying programs, projects, and policies that can shape growth and development in Ada for the coming decades. ?The Housing Assessment and Neighborhood Plan process will allow citizens to work alongside the City to develop a shared vision for the future that will improve quality of life,? stated Community Development Director Staci Beecher. ?The goal is to have a complete housing assessment targeted to the needs of the community as well as revised regulations that will allow for a variety of housing types and price points to better serve our community.? This work will serve as a starting point for the City?s new Comprehensive Plan, an updated policy document that identifies the community?s shared vision for the future. It will focus on Ada?s built environment and provide an action plan and strategies to achieve that vision. For more information on the City of Ada, visit www.adaok.com