Build Buffalo County
Build Buffalo County is an initiative led by the Development Council for Buffalo County to expand the housing options needed to attract, retain, and grow the local workforce. The initiative will combine housing research with input from developers, builders, contractors, and other professionals directly involved in residential development.
The goal is to create a data-informed short- and long-term housing strategy that defines local workforce housing needs, identifies locally controllable barriers to development, and recommends practical actions to encourage housing investment and production.
Build Buffalo County will provide community leaders and private-sector partners with a shared understanding of local housing needs and a practical roadmap for action. The resulting strategy will support coordinated investment, expanded housing opportunities, and continued workforce and economic growth in Kearney and throughout Buffalo County.
The initiative leverages funding, support and technical assistance from:
A countywide analysis will examine population trends, housing inventory, vacancy rates, housing age, construction and sales activity, available listings, and future demand to determine the housing needed to replace aging inventory and support Kearney’s workforce and economic growth.
The analysis will consider countywide housing conditions while providing information relevant to Kearney’s workforce housing strategy.
The Development Council for Buffalo County will gather confidential feedback from developers, builders, contractors, specialty trades, and other housing professionals. Surveys and follow-up conversations will explore the factors affecting the cost, timing, and feasibility of residential development.
The process will focus on identifying solutions and opportunities for improvement—not simply documenting challenges.
Targeted outreach may also be conducted with property owners and contractors involved in development outside Kearney. This feedback will provide additional context about development conditions throughout Buffalo County.
Research and stakeholder feedback will be translated into prioritized short- and long-term recommendations. These may address development processes, communication, infrastructure, construction capacity, financing, public-private partnerships, and other locally influenced conditions.
Each recommendation will identify a proposed action, responsible partners, expected impact, and anticipated timeline.