Southeastern Council of Governments reports $150M in grants/loans supported region; Minnehaha County cited as top beneficiary

Officials from the Southeastern Council of Governments (SECOG) and affiliated development organizations presented an annual update to the Minnehaha County Commission on Jan. 28, describing regional grant and loan activity, affordable-housing projects and small-business lending supported through the council's programs.

Lynn (surname not provided), president and CEO of SECOG, said the planning and development district serves six counties and 40 municipalities; the organization reported about $4.5 million in revenues in 2024, roughly half of which came from administering the Southeastern Development Foundation and Dakota Business Finance programs. Lynn said SECOG does not have taxing authority and that membership dues contributed about $357,000 of the 2024 budget.

Sophie Johnson, community development manager, told commissioners that the council helped secure roughly $150 million in grants and loans for its service area in 2024 (the figure was described as “a little shy of $150,000,000” in the presentation). She said Minnehaha County paid roughly $27,000 in dues and was the largest recipient of the council’s programs, with the presentation noting about $110 million in grants and loans flowing to the county in 2024. SECOG staff described a return on investment calculation — reported as an average of about $416 in grant/loan dollars obtained per $1 of dues paid across membership.

Eric Barnes, senior lender for the Southeastern Development Foundation, reviewed economic-development lending. He said the foundation has lent nearly $55 million since inception and that in 2024 it approved 25 economic-development loans totaling just under $5 million and leveraged roughly $35 million through banking partners, creating or retaining about 88.5 jobs in the foundation’s six-county territory.

SECOG also described its affordable-housing activities. The presentation noted the Governor’s House program, developer activity moving donated or “recycled” homes, and a portfolio of about 117 houses developed and sold for over $25 million in aggregate; the presentation said those efforts have added roughly $500,000 per year to tax rolls under certain assumptions.

Commissioners asked about waiting lists for Governor’s House units and how applicants are prioritized; staff said there was no current waiting list but that they maintain lists and may prioritize eligible buyers (for example, first-time buyers, school graduates and income-qualified households at or below 80% of median household income for certain forgivable funding). SECOG staff also highlighted administration of the Metropolitan Planning Organization and technical assistance to smaller municipalities that lack professional planning staff.

No formal action was taken; the commission received the presentation and thanked SECOG staff for the update.