Request for Proposals: Brookings Regional Housing Study & Needs Analysis

Organization: Brookings Regional Growth Alliance
Location: Brookings, South Dakota
Proposal Deadline: November 12, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. Central Time

The Brookings Regional Growth Alliance is seeking proposals from qualified consulting firms to conduct a comprehensive Housing Study & Needs Analysis for the City of Brookings and Brookings County, South Dakota.

The study will update and expand upon the region's 2022 housing study, providing current, data-driven insights into housing supply, demand, affordability, and development opportunities. Findings will guide future housing policy, investment, and partnerships to support population growth, workforce needs, and long-term economic development.

Project Scope

The study will examine housing conditions throughout Brookings County, including the City of Brookings and the communities of Arlington, Aurora, Bruce, Bushnell, Elkton, Sinai, Volga, and White.

Key components include:

• Demographic and Market Analysis: Evaluate population trends, household characteristics, employment and commuting patterns, existing housing stock, rental and ownership markets, and housing affordability.

• Housing Needs and Gap Analysis: Quantify current and projected housing demand over 5-, 10-, and 15-year horizons, identifying gaps by housing type, tenure, income level, and community.

• Development Conditions: Assess land availability, infrastructure capacity, regulatory barriers, development costs, and financing and incentive opportunities.

• Housing Strategies: Recommend actionable policies, partnerships, and investment priorities to address identified housing needs.

• GIS Mapping: Develop geographic analyses illustrating housing conditions, affordability, and development opportunities.

• Community Engagement: Conduct a regional public survey, stakeholder interviews or listening sessions, and presentations of preliminary and final findings.

The RFP also includes an optional scope for more detailed, community-specific housing profiles. Consultants should provide separate pricing for the base study and optional community-level analyses.

Deliverables and Timeline

The selected consultant will produce a public-facing housing study, detailed technical appendix, executive summary, GIS maps, and presentation materials. The project is anticipated to begin in January 2027, with final deliverables expected by the end of August 2027.

Proposal Requirements

Interested firms should submit qualifications, relevant project experience, proposed methodology and work plan, project team information, references, work samples, proposed schedule, and a not-to-exceed cost proposal. View the RFP document linked below for the fill proposal requirements. 

Proposals will be evaluated based on technical approach, relevant experience, team qualifications, community engagement strategy, schedule, and overall value.

Submission Instructions

Proposals must be received by 4:30 p.m. Central Time on Thursday, November 12, 2026.

Submit one electronic PDF copy via email and three hard copies to:

Kirsten Gjesdal
Community Development Director
Brookings Regional Growth Alliance
416 3rd Street
Brookings, SD 57006
kirsten@growthalliance.org
(605) 692-8922

VIEW FULL REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS HERE

Interested firms should review the complete RFP for detailed scope, requirements, evaluation criteria, and submission instructions.