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Beltrami County approves housing trust awards for two houses and eight-unit project in 4-1 vote
Summary
The board approved two Housing Trust Fund recommendations — funding for two single-family homes and an eight-unit project — after debate about opportunity cost, project readiness and timing; Commissioner Carlson voted no.
Beltrami County commissioners approved two recommendations from the Housing Trust Fund cabinet to support housing development projects, with the motion passing 4-1 after debate about whether the county should prioritize shovel-ready smaller projects or hold funds for larger developments.
Commissioner Gould moved to approve the two recommendations as presented; Commissioner Sumner seconded. Commissioner Carlson said he would support funding the eight-unit request for $220,000 but opposed spending roughly $300,000 on two houses, citing opportunity cost and the potential to leverage the money for more units. "I can't be in favor of spending $300,000 on 2 houses," Carlson said.
County housing staff and the cabinet described three applications in the RFP round. One applicant was not ready to move forward, staff said, leaving shovel-ready options the cabinet recommended for immediate action. A county housing representative provided numbers to the board indicating that if the two recommended requests were fully funded, the trust fund would have $836,680 remaining; with the 2025 allocation included the trust fund balance would be $1,210,562 by the end of 2025.
Corey, representing North Star Neighbors, told the board the $430,000 figure in the project budget would be loaned dollars rather than grant funds and that loan financing is necessary to make the project work: "No. Because that 430,000 is gonna be the in the in the form of a loan," he said. He explained the model for community land-trust-style homeownership, saying initial grant dollars would rotate back into the trust when homes turn over in subsequent years, creating longer-term capacity. Corey said the two houses are proposed in a single new neighborhood development (described as Beartooth or Mountain View Meadows on Bemidji’s south side).
Commissioner Carlson said he would press for the eight-unit proposal alone if the overall motion failed, arguing larger developments might be a better long-term leverage of county funds. Other commissioners and housing-cabinet members said the cabinet’s recommendation prioritized shovel-ready projects that could be started immediately and that there are other projects in the pipeline that could apply in future RFP rounds.
The board conducted a roll-call vote: Carlson voted no; Commissioners Gould, Winger, Sumner and the chair voted yes. The motion carried 4-1.
