A lack of housing is hurting local communities, and DeWitt County's economic development leader is hoping DeWitt County can tap into a market that is going unmet in many communities.

On the WHOW Morning Show Monday, Curt Homann, Executive Director of the DeWitt County Development Council, told Regional Radio, there is a demand for housing in DeWitt County for a market that cannot keep up.

For the two biggest communities in DeWitt County, Clinton and Farmer City, Homann says there should be two objectives. One is to restore properties where blighted homes have been razed, and also the development of new subdivisions.

Costs are largely what prevent communities from pursuing housing developments, but Homann indicates there are ways to recoup those costs and improve their housing market.

According to Homann, there are avenues to begin housing development, and that is for a developer to take up the development of a portion of a community, and then for a TIF district to be set up for the community to recoup its costs.

Homann is working to find developers who would be interested in coming to Clinton. He feels there are a few areas in DeWitt County ripe for development, mostly areas that are just outside of the limits of a city.