At the UMVRDC, we try to bring tools, resources and technical assistance to our member units of government to help solve local issues. We continues to hear that housing is a critical issue in the region and are well aware of the challenges communities are facing. Housing-related issues showed up in five of the top 11 most important topics in our most recent Regional Survey. In some cases, there isn’t the right mix of housing choices available or the cost to develop new housing infrastructure is too high or maybe there is a lack of understanding of the housing tools and resources available to support housing development. We have created this page to share different resources and examples that communities can reference as they work on local housing issues. In addition to this resource page, our regional marketing effort, Western MN Prairie Waters also has a “Live Here” page targeted at people looking to relocate to our region. We plan to continue to add resources and information to this page, so check back often!
Developable Housing Lots
One way we could help encourage new development is to bring attention to the available housing lots in the region. In the summer of 2024, the RDC contacted all of our communities in an effort to gather any available information on available housing lots (lot size, incentives, amenities, available utilities, etc.) with the intention of sharing it with prospective residents or existing residents looking to build. We compiled this data into a single resource for communities to use in promoting new housing development. We plan to continue to update and enhance this resource, making it a useful tool in strengthening our region’s housing stock. If your community has lots available and would like to add them to the inventory, please contact kevin@umvrdc.org.
Housing InventoryHousing Overview CatalogHousing Contractor/Services Listing
In addition to the available lots, we created a listing of contractors and services in the region (or just outside) that can be utilized by new and existing residents as they look to build or remodel their homes. From banks to carpenters to landscapers, there can be a lot of entities involved with a housing project. Our goal was to create a “one stop shop” for people looking to undertake a housing project. We acknowledge this listing is not all encompassing and will continue to add to it in the future. If you know of a contractor or service that is not listed, please contact kevin@umvrdc.org to have them added.
Local ContractorsHousing Case Studies
The UMVRDC has created several housing case studies with a goal of sharing stories of housing development across our region to inspire, inform and give hope to communities who may be stuck or wondering where to start. We selected a variety of housing projects and topics from our region to share the details of who, what, when, why, and how of projects across our region were done. We would like to thank Southwest Initiative Foundation for supporting this work!
Dawson Duplexes Case StudyRiverview Dairy Case Study Benson Housing Case StudyIncentives Case Study
