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Beth Ann Johnson, Duluth, the Council Program Coordinator for Arrowhead Regional Quality Council, a program of The Arc, was in town on Tuesday, June 20, to meet with folks from Birchwood Apartments, and she had some news to share.
“One Roof Community Housing will be the new owner of Birchwood Apartments at the end of this month,” said Johnson.
One Roof Community Housing is well known in the county. They completed two developments here, the 10-unit single-family homeownership project in Grand Marais, called “Nordic Star,” and the four (4) quad-plexes for a total of 16 rental units in Lutsen.
This isn’t Johnson’s first visit to Birchwood. On Tuesday, she was busy asking tenants about the living conditions at the apartment complex. “I am shocked and appalled by what these people have had to go through,” Johnson said. Still, “I am impressed with their resiliency after living in such poor conditions.”
What she was referring to is a long list of complaints issued by Birchwood tenants who continually complained about mold, bugs, electrical and plumbing issues, holes in ceilings, water damage, and for a time, no heat this past winter. The facility’s washers and dryers at the time also needed fixing. Renters were also issued eviction notices this last winter while having their rents fully paid up, which caused a lot of emotional stress to tenants with children who realized there was no place to go in a county that has a severe housing shortage, and it was freezing outside.
Following a list of complaints from tenants, the USDA federal investigators paid a visit on January 24, 2023, and issued a long list of items that needed to be fixed. Some of that work has begun with water leaks repaired and wet carpets removed, but bigger plumbing issues remain, along with a lot of work to get the apartments back up to acceptable living standards.
That’s why Johnson was here last Tuesday to ensure the tenants are being taken care of.
Several people came by the table Johnson had set up outside to talk with her. No one wanted to be interviewed, but one person commented, “I’m excited for the future. Things are returning to normal, and people here are once again starting to look out for each other.”
The Regional Quality Council (RQC) “comprises people with disabilities, their families, county workers, the Department of Human Services, community members, and service providers,” says their website. Johnson said they advocate for people with disabilities and work to improve the quality of their lives.
Sometime in July, representatives from Home Line, an organization that provides free and low-cost legal, organizing, education, and advocacy services for tenants throughout the state, will stop by to meet with the residents of Birchwood, said Johnson, adding, “The Housing Justice Center (HJC) will also come in July to discuss the rights of the tenants living here.”
The HJC is a nonprofit advocacy and legal organization whose primary mission is “to preserve and expand affordable housing for low-income individuals and families.”
Birchwood Apartments were built in 1992 at 801 W 5th Street in Grand Marais. There are 24 apartments between two buildings, an upper two-story and a lower two-story building. All of the units are one bath and either two or three bedrooms. The square footage of an apartment ranges from 768 to 930 square feet. While privately owned, Birchwood apartments are typically subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Rural Subsidized Housing for Families, a project that offers government subsidies for rent payments.
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