District Profile: Residential
Sovereigns in Brunelleschi have universally agreed that the Residential District is an essential part of any growing Settlement's Economy and Society. The housing options available enable the quick development of a Middle and Upper class workforce, which can help to get as many Production buildings online as possible. The concentration of Population requires consideration of Happiness factors, effective Sovereigns and 'Housing Inspector' Ministers will make good use of their Attribute bonuses in reducing the cost of maintaining Social Services to these districts.
Main Building - Community Center
The Community Center is a center of activity for busy Settlements, and additionally can produce Boards from raw Lumber making it a useful beginnings to a Settlement's Wood-based production economy. In the Unity and Oculus clients it will be possible to interact directly with other players in your settlement, and such buildings may well serve as convenient meeting places and Role-Playing scenes, particularly in Settlements which have chosen the more Populist Government types.
Production of Carts from Hemp will also make the Community center a necessary part of any early land-based Shipping Industry, and as the Building is Upgraded, higher quality Carts can be produced making it an enduring part of the economy.
Exclusive Building - Villa
The Villa is the second least expensive housing type for Peer Population, so the construction of a Residential district can distribute the Upper Class workforce into a separate location which can make it easier to deal with the Happiness Scores that they affect the most strongly. Since Noble NPCs tend to heavily impact the Security of a district, a city with a large amount of Villas located in its residential will have an easier time focusing the efforts of patrolling troops.
Linked Building - House
The humble House is a form of 'Low Density' housing that occupies a large amount of plot space while using only a modest amount of resources and providing a similarly modest amount of housing space for Yeomen (The Middle Class). Houses won't be popular in extensively developed Settlements as building space becomes steadily less available. As Hero Housing is expanded these may become popular choices for Mid-Level Hero Characters.
Ministry - Housing Inspector
The Housing Inspector is a low-Ranking and relatively non-essential Ministry. The Bonuses can allow for some benefit, particularly from a Commander or Noble Lord in the form of reduced Building Upkeep and a bonus to the District's all-important Health score from the Minister's 'Mettle' Attribute. On the upside,
Downsides - Long Term Value
While literally every Sovereign who's ever run a Settlement agrees they're necessary at first, over time the value compared to other Districts will fail to compare. While the Linking bonus makes houses more effective in this District, over time you'll have better options and will tend to switch to Apartment Complexes for housing the Middle Class. Villas remain a compelling argument for keeping a Residential District in the mid-Ranks (4-7) but ultimately the Mid-Town and Downtown districts will offer better options and the humble Residential zone may be relegated to satellite Settlements (suburbs).
As a Rank 1 District, and an optional one at that, the Residential District has minimal Defense and Garrison options. It's not a good place to have to defend, and ultimately the 4 district-wide bonuses offered by the Housing Inspector won't have as much effect as later, higher ranking bonuses.
