'The demand is high': Chautauqua County developing housing strategy

Along the northern bank of Chautauqua Lake sits the county's seat of Mayville. And like many places across New York State, there's a housing shortage.

“People that currently own homes in Chautauqua County aren't facing as much of an issue, but people that are looking to rent or own in Chautauqua County is a challenge," said Planning Coordinator Rebecca Wurster.

Wurster helped the county develop a housing study to try and find potential solutions.

“The quantity and quality of the rental market is a challenge, but then people are having a challenge for, you know, those first time home buyers, like I mentioned, just getting into the market is a challenge right now," added Wurster.

“The demand is high and we’re not seeing a lot more listings coming on the market," said Stephen Holt, Broker and Owner of Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate.

“Right now there are a lot of people looking to buy, but there are not as many people thinking about selling," said Holt. "Some of them don’t have a place to go, you know, if they sold their house, where would they move to, what would they move into, whether it’s in this area or any other area?"

That's where the study looks to address these issues. The county is looking at opportunities with housing developers and to create a more robust rental market.

The county plans to work with partners to identify, prepare and market top sites for development.

You can find the full report here .