A housing needs assessment recently conducted for the City of Hays took inventory of what the city does and does not have, but there are still a lot of questions about why there are certain types of housing shortages and what the city can do to address the issue.

City Manager Toby Dougherty Thursday night asked the commission to allow a committee of city staff to work on the issue and put together policy recommendations instead of hiring another consultant.

Dougherty says the committee needs to determine what the real housing needs and barriers are verses the anecdotal perceptions in the community. He wants the group to be able to present a Housing Action Plan to the commission.