(a) General characteristics. (1) Based on information available to the jurisdiction, the plan must describe the significant characteristics of the jurisdiction's housing market, including the supply, demand, and condition and cost of housing and the housing stock available to serve persons with disabilities, and to serve other low-income persons with special needs, including persons with HIV/AIDS and their families.

(2) Data on the housing market should include, to the extent information is available, an estimate of the number of vacant or abandoned buildings and whether units in these buildings are suitable for rehabilitation.

(3) The jurisdiction must also identify and describe any areas within the jurisdiction with concentrations of racial/ethnic minorities and/or low-income families, stating how it defines the terms “area of low-income concentration” and “area of minority concentration” for this purpose. The locations and degree of these concentrations must be identified, either in a narrative or on one or more maps.

(4) Commencing with consolidated plans submitted on or after January 1, 2018, the jurisdiction must also describe the broadband needs of housing occupied by low- and moderate-income households based on an analysis of data, identified by the jurisdiction, for its low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. These needs include the need for broadband wiring and for connection to the broadband service in the household units and the need for increased competition by having more than one broadband Internet service provider serve the jurisdiction.

(5) Commencing with consolidated plans submitted on or after January 1, 2018, the jurisdiction must also describe the vulnerability of housing occupied by low- and moderate-income households to increased natural hazard risks associated with climate change based on an analysis of data, findings, and methods identified by the jurisdiction in its consolidated plan.

(b) Public and assisted housing. (1) The plan must describe and identify the public housing developments and the number of public housing units in the jurisdiction, the physical condition of such units, the restoration and revitalization needs, results from the Section 504 needs assessment (i.e., assessment of needs of tenants and applicants on waiting list for accessible units, as required by 24 CFR 8.25), and the public housing agency's strategy for improving the management and operation of such public housing and for improving the living environment of low- and moderate-income families residing in public housing. The consolidated plan must identify the public housing developments in the jurisdictions that are participating in an approved PHA Plan.

(2) The jurisdiction shall include a description of the number and targeting (income level and type of family served) of units currently assisted by local, state, or federally funded programs, and an assessment of whether any such units are expected to be lost from the assisted housing inventory for any reason, such as expiration of Section 8 contracts.

(c) Facilities, housing, and services for homeless persons. The plan must include a brief inventory of facilities, housing, and services that meet the needs of homeless persons within the jurisdiction, particularly chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans and their families, and unaccompanied youth.

(1) The inventory of facilities and housing (e.g., emergency shelter, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing) must be presented in a form specified by HUD.

(2) The inventory of services must include both services targeted to homeless persons and mainstream services, such as health, mental health, and employment services to the extent those services are used to complement services targeted to homeless persons.

(d) Special need facilities and services. The plan must describe, to the extent information is available, the facilities and services that assist persons who are not homeless but who require supportive housing, and programs for ensuring that persons returning from mental and physical health institutions receive appropriate supportive housing.

(e) Barriers to affordable housing. The plan must explain whether the cost of housing or the incentives to develop, maintain, or improve affordable housing in the jurisdiction are affected by public policies, particularly by policies of the jurisdiction, including tax policies affecting land and other property, land use controls, zoning ordinances, building codes, fees and charges, growth limits, and policies that affect the return on residential investment.