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Goodhue County board approves housing trust fund awards for home construction, preservation
Summary
The Board approved staff recommendations from the Goodhue County Housing Trust Fund Committee and SumTerra board to allocate nearly all 2025 Trust Fund dollars to two projects: a Habitat for Humanity new‑build and a preservation project using a deferred forgivable loan to preserve 24 USDA‑assisted units.
The Goodhue County Board on May 20 approved recommendations from the county Housing Trust Fund Committee and SumTerra's board to allocate most of the 2025 Goodhue County Housing Trust Fund award round to two projects: a Habitat for Humanity home build and a preservation project for USDA Section 515 rental units.
Staff said the housing trust fund is supported through the county HRA levy. The 2025 competitive round yielded three applications; two met the committee's construction‑or‑preservation criterion and are being recommended for funding. The Board moved to expend the recommended funds and approved the allocations.
Staff outlined the two recommended awards: a $40,000 grant to Habitat for Humanity to support construction of a home in Kenyon; Habitat will provide approximately $277,000 in matching resources including donated labor and builder‑trade program participation. The second recommendation is a $114,000 deferred forgivable loan to support preservation work on a property in the Goodhue side of Lake City that contains units subject to USDA Section 515 rental assistance. Staff explained the loan structure: recording a deferred forgivable loan on the property preserves long‑term affordability because repayment would return funds to the housing trust fund if the property ceases to be affordable.
Staff said the two recommended awards consume all but about $20,000 of the $175,000 earmarked for the RFP. Board members remarked that using the trust fund for construction and preservation is the purpose of the levy and supported the awards. The motion to expend funds on the recommended projects passed by voice vote.
