The Lake County and Two Harbors HRA Boards came together last week to solidify their working relationship and chart a path toward greater collaboration as they work to address the urgent need for low income, workforce and market rate housing within the boundaries of Two Harbors.
Both entities have had somewhat different visions and different spheres of operation. Because State and local statutes place parameters around how they each operate, there has been some lack of clarity regarding their working relationship. As both boards sat down to have an honest conversation last week, they found that they had similar concerns regarding a joint powers agreement recently drafted that was designed to formalize their relationship. HRA boards are not partisan organizations but in the current political climate, it was encouraging to see a “bipartisan” approach to clarifying an issue so that the instruments of local government can move forward together and address an important local need. Each board is working to clarify their respectives roles so as to not duplicate each other’s work. Two Harbors, and Lake County need every type of housing to meet the needs of low income folks, seniors and working families. There are many pieces to the work of addressing the need for housing and in this time of clarification, each board will sharpen their focus so that their partnership more adequately meets housing needs.
One issue that is often heard as a criticism from the public is that progress on providing housing seems “slow”. There are several reasons for this. One of the issues that has been a common challenge is the fact that it is not always easy to find a contractor who wants to commit to what essentially is a small project. There is a lot of competition among contractors in larger municipalities for multi-million dollar apartment projects and expensive upscale homes. Unfortunately, a workforce or market rate home, which might net several hundred thousand dollars for a contractor, does not have the same drawing power as a bigger project. There are currently plans for development on a number of local tax forfeited properties, some of which lack access to public utilities. Contractors usually want to see a plan in place to remedy this situation before they are willing to sign on to a project. In addition, contractors often ask for secrecy early on in negotiations in order to protect priority information and business strategies about a project as they develop concept plans that will move the work forward. In spite of the apparent slowness, there are several exciting projects that are nearing the “shovel ready” stage.
Maintaining the existing stock of homes in the city is another important aspect of addressing the housing issue. There are plans underway for a home rehabilitation program that will provide up to $10,000 to eligible homeowners seeking to fix health and safety issues at their place of residence. Rehab projects will include mitigating lead paint hazards, upgrading electrical, plumbing and heating systems, replacement of windows and exterior doors and repairs to roofing and foundations. Applicants will need to meet income guidelines, have a work plan approved by the Lake County HRA and have work done by a licensed contractor. This plan is currently in draft form but will be ready to go live soon.
The Lake County HRA meets on the second Wednesday of the month, at 6:00. The Two Harbors HRA meets monthly at Bayview Terrace. Check the Two Harbors city website for dates and times. Both meetings are open to the public.
