Main Spotlight: Breaking Barriers to Acquiring Commercial Properties
Creating real change in business ownership starts with local communities leading the way, backed by strong partnerships and collaborations.
Join us for three days of learning, connecting, and celebrating at Main Street Now 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 7 – 9.
Secure Your Spot!The Main Street America Research team is excited to share the newest component of our housing work, the At Home on Main Street Housing Quiz. The quiz is an experimental tool designed to help local leaders assess strengths and challenges related to housing in their downtowns or commercial corridors. Respondents are prompted to answer 12 questions to find out the "personality" of their district and are directed to resources that cover related housing topics.
The intent of the quiz is to:
Provide a quick assessment of a local organizational approach to a unique housing situation.
Assist Main Street leaders in navigating the numerous housing resources available through Main Street America and beyond.
Create a platform for data collection and resource sharing that supports the network and influences the direction of our ongoing housing-related efforts.
The Housing Quiz follows the release of At Home on Main Street: A Report on the State of Housing in Downtown and Neighborhood Commercial Districts, a data-centric report on the state of housing in Main Street districts, and At Home on Main Street: A Housing Guidebook for Local Leaders, a user-friendly guide containing recommendations for supporting housing and case studies from Main Streets across the country.
As an experimental and evolving tool, we are hoping to use feedback about the model and offerings of the Housing Quiz to adapt it in an ongoing manner. At the end of the quiz, respondents are invited to submit housing resources and offer commentary on how the tool can better serve the needs of their community. In time, we envision the Housing Quiz Resource Library becoming a go-to hub of housing resources for Main Street leaders, expanded by the network and updated regularly.
The Housing Quiz is part of Main Street America’s At Home on Main Street project dedicated to conducting research and disseminating resources related to housing in downtowns and commercial corridors. This work is generously supported by the 1772 Foundation.
We hope you enjoy and find value in the new Housing Quiz. If you have questions or comments about this work, please let us know either by posting them to The Point or by emailing research@mainstreet.org.
Creating real change in business ownership starts with local communities leading the way, backed by strong partnerships and collaborations.
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People attending a tour of downtown Denison, Texas © Mel Climer — Climer Design
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Hillsboro, Oregon © Alicia Gallo
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Spencer, IA © Spencer Main Street
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Biddeford, ME © Heart of Biddeford
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This article was published on January 10, 2023, by Next City, a nonprofit news organization focused on socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable urban practices.
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Laramie, WY © Mike Scholl
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Red Wing, MN © Megan Tsui
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Fremont, CA © City of Fremont
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Charleston, SC © Jim Heid
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