Huron Housing Authority reports low vacancies, seeks rehab specialist and must spend $210,000 grant this year

Amy Fullerton, executive director of the Huron Housing Authority, told the Huron City Commission on July 14 that most authority properties show low vacancy rates but the agency faces staffing and timing constraints that limit use of a rehabilitation grant.

Fullerton said the authority is seeing varied vacancy rates across its properties: 6% at the Donnie Wall supportive-housing site; 3.85% at Manor; no vacancies this year at Bloomberg; 1.6% at Field Estates (currently undergoing siding, window and door work expected to finish in 2026); and about 2% at Lampy, which is under contract for sale with a target closing of Aug. 1.

The update matters because the authority’s programs serve low-income and vulnerable residents across Huron and Beadle County. “We currently are serving 168 families in Beadle County and the city of Huron,” Fullerton said, and she said the average housing-assistance payment to landlords from the agency is roughly $390 per family. “In 2024, we spent $764,318 in housing assistance payments to landlords,” she added.

Fullerton described two grant-funded programs. A security-deposit grant for elderly, disabled and homeless applicants originally totaled $25,000; about $12,000 remained at the time of the update. The authority also received $210,000 this year from South Dakota Housing for its housing-rehab program, but Fullerton said staff turnover has limited spending: the authority is actively recruiting a housing-rehab specialist after the previous specialist departed late last year. “We are currently and actively seeking a housing rehab program specialist,” she said. She described the position as an “extreme need” and said interim help has been provided by a former specialist who is training staff.

Fullerton said South Dakota Housing revised its per-project cap: previously projects had a $255,000 cap; new guidance sets a $35,000 cap per project unless the board approves a higher amount. She said two applicants have begun the rehab process but remain on hold pending hire of the specialist. Fullerton also said the $210,000 award is earmarked for the calendar year and the authority will reapply in August; she said carryover is not automatic.

Commissioners asked whether tenants at Lampy would be protected after the pending sale. Fullerton said she had no concerns that new owners would terminate existing contracts or raise rents to the point of displacing current tenants.

Fullerton opened the update by noting operational impacts from a recent power outage that left the authority without phones while servers were restored. She said the outage produced additional administrative work but did not provide a timeline for full restoration.

The authority asked the commission and community to help publicize staffing vacancies for the rehab specialist. Fullerton said limited staff capacity and the calendar-year grant deadline mean the authority expects to use only part of the $210,000 award unless it hires soon.

Field Estates’ siding, window and door project remains on track for completion in 2026. Lampy’s sale timeline is targeted for Aug. 1, and Fullerton said prospective buyers appear promising and the sale would free funds for a future project that has not yet been determined.

The commission did not take formal action on the Huron Housing Authority update; commissioners asked questions and received answers during the presentation.