The East Grand Forks Economic Development Authority voted to raise rents by $50 per month at Sunshine Terrace, the agency’s director reported at the board’s Dec. 10 meeting.

Staff presented three options and recommended the $50-per-month flat increase as the clearest way to align rents with rising maintenance costs and aging building systems. Staff said the property’s leases are one-year terms and that many residents pay on an income-based formula, meaning several tenants will see little or no change in their out-of-pocket rent payments.

"My recommendation would be the $50 increase," said Speaker 10, the staff presenter, explaining that recent repairs and boiler replacements have increased operating costs.

The motion to raise rents was made by Speaker 3 and seconded by Speaker 1. On a roll call, members present voted unanimously in favor (roll call recorded affirmative responses), and the board adopted the increase.

Board members emphasized that the increase should be applied consistently and noted staff’s outreach to housing partners to estimate tenant impacts. Staff said that because many tenants’ payments are income-based, some households will see no immediate increase while a few might see modest changes (Staff estimated the highest household increase at about $8 per month for a subset of tenants under current income calculations).

The board directed staff to implement the approved change consistent with existing lease terms and to continue coordinating with housing partners to monitor tenant impacts. The director will report back if additional assistance options or exceptions are required.

The vote on the rent increase followed budget and operational reporting and was the most significant formal action taken at the meeting.