Rehabilitation work at the Lakeview apartment complex in Two Harbors continues. This work includes the completion of a beautiful two bedroom apartment that has just been rented to a person who will have some responsibilities for basic maintenance and who will communicate with the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) when contractors need to be called in for more involved repairs. The Executive Director of the Lake County HRA (LCHRA), Matthew Johnson, has been having to spend 50% of his time covering these tasks at Lakeview, so having an onsite person to take on these responsibilities will allow Johnson to turn his attention to other pressing matters. An additional Lakeview unit, currently under construction on the ground floor, will be ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) accessible and additional rehab work on other apartments at Lakeview is scheduled to begin next week. The Lake County Board has earmarked $180,000.00, which will be used to bring Lakeview to full capacity in the near future.
The Lake County Department of Human Services (DHS) has generously provided $40,000 to the LCHRA to be used to address the needs of the county’s homeless population. With the impacts of the COVID crisis and related economic difficulties, there has been a 12% nationwide increase in cases of documented homelessness since 2022. Typically, it takes people who experience homelessness 1 to 2 years before they can get back on their feet. As of 2022, Minnesota’s homeless population has been relatively low compared to other states (13.8 out of 10,000 residents), but the funding provided by DHS will go a long way in keeping people housed in Lake County.
Silverpoint II in Silver Bay is moving toward the design phase. D.W. Jones will be working with the LCHRA to get this project up and running. The LCHRA will be asking for letters of support from employers in Silver Bay who have 20 or more employees. These letters of support will aid the LCHRA as they apply for grant funding for workforce housing projects in the city. Additionally, Director Johnson has been working to generate interest among contractors about the potential for single family homes along Penn Boulevard.
Readers have been asking for an update on the John A. Johnson property. Alex Happ, owner of the property, is hoping to create partnerships with local entities so that development can get underway soon. Happ is a local resident and a licensed contractor who is well aware of the need for affordable housing in the area. He said that he is excited about the opportunity that the John A. Johnson property affords the community and that “everything is on the table” with regard to bringing workforce, senior and market rate housing to Two Harbors.
