Jeff, the HRA executive director, updated commissioners on multiple non-ordinance items Wednesday, including a $350,000 grant for the North Scoggin project, housing need gaps, funding streams for rent stabilization, audit progress and local revenue efforts.

North Scoggin project and bids: Jeff said the HRA received a $350,000 grant for the North Scoggin project on the east end of Grand Marais to support 12 single-family workforce houses. The HRA completed a bid process and selected KTM for roadwork; staff said their aim is to complete road, water and sewer hookups before winter and that a contract from the I triple r is pending.

AMI targets and housing needs: Jeff reviewed the agency’s housing study and told the board the HRA is meeting some needs at the 60–80% area median income (AMI) range but has a larger, unmet need at 50% AMI. He also discussed senior housing and assisted-living placement challenges tied to lower incomes and workforce shortages in caregiving roles.

Rent-stabilization and state aid: The board discussed state rent-stabilization aid. Jeff summarized past allocations: roughly $83,000 in 2023, $35,000 in 2024 and a projected $43,000 for 2026, and said the amounts vary by legislative decisions. He noted the HRA has made commitments against those state-aid amounts for particular projects and stressed the need to avoid over-commitment if state allocations shrink.

Audit, governance and local revenues: Jeff said the HRA’s financial audit is essentially complete and that staff will circulate updated conflict-of-interest forms for board members. Commissioners discussed local revenue sources: Cascade Vacation Rentals has contributed funds (and a company partner, Claire Stoddard, is coordinating voluntary contributions), and one privately run short-term rental indicated a plan to remit a share of direct-booking revenue to the HRA; commissioners said these contributions have meaningfully supported operations this year.

Project updates and community items: The board received brief updates on the Heights apartments (occupancy moving from double digits into single digits remaining, staff estimated nine units left), ongoing consortium outreach and a local “North Shore Healthy Homes” conversation. Commissioners raised two site-management items for action: remove/store a developer “coming 2024” sign from the Temperance Trail site and decide how to manage an HRA-owned billboard on Highway 61 (one side is down; one commissioner reported the billboard lease previously generated approximately $5,000 per year for both faces).

Why it matters: The grant and project updates move multiple housing projects forward, while the director’s report flagged ongoing operational matters — audit completion, conflict-of-interest renewals, and small-local revenue streams — that affect the HRA’s ability to fund and manage housing work.

The board did not take a separate formal vote on these informational items but asked staff to proceed with procurement and contract steps once paperwork from the I triple r arrives.