County seeks input on housing

Talk about it

Lake County is hosting a public meeting Tuesday to discuss its application for a grant to help residents shore up their housing. The county would apply for a grant through the state Department of Employment and Economic Development and its Minnesota Small Cities Development program.

The hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. in the courthouse boardroom.

According to the agency, grants provide “financial assistance for safe and affordable housing, economic development, and public facility needs; and a suitable living environment by expanding economic opportunities, principally benefiting low- to moderate-income households.”

The program provides federal grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to local units of government on a competitive basis for a variety of projects. Eligible applicants include cities with a population of less than 50,000 and counties and townships with an unincorporated population of less than 200,000.

Funded projects must, at a minimum, meet one of three federal objectives: benefit low- and moderate-income persons; prevent or eliminate slum and blight conditions; or alleviate urgent community development needs caused by existing conditions that pose a serious and immediate threat to the health and/or welfare of the community.

Funding is provided by HUD on an annual basis totaling approximately $18 million and matched by a Minnesota general fund appropriation of approximately $420,000.

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