Affordable Housing in Rural Communities
Introduction
Rural communities contribute significantly to the quality of life and
economic vitality of the state of Minnesota. They offer a diversity of
economic, lifestyle, cultural and environmental experiences. Small towns
are good places to live and raise families, and are important to regional
economies.
For these reasons and more, investment in small communities continues
to be a priority for the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund. From
1996 through 2002 GMHF worked with communities with fewer than 5,000 residents
by:
- Providing $18.4 million in support for affordable housing;
- Supporting 106 projects in nearly 70 small towns;
- Assisting with the creation of over 1900 units;
- Committing 50% of all funding to these small communities.
Community Planning Assistance
Beyond direct financial assistance, Greater Minnesota Housing Fund also works with small rural communities to plan appropriately scaled rental and single family projects. Technical assistance and education is provided in order to help meet unique community needs. Planning assistance and special local strategies and programs are tailored to support affordable housing development in small towns.
- Building Better Neighborhoods assistance in rural communities
- Employer Assisted Housing funds that match small business contributions to affordable housing
- Rehabilitation programs that preserve existing housing stock in rural areas
- Adaptive reuse of obsolete buildings in small cities and towns
- Loan pools for scattered site development in rural areas
Check out all of the GMHF programs.