Although the Cook County – Grand Marais Economic Development Authority is struggling to fund its operations, the EDA board is unanimous in its support of the housing program created in 2007.
At the January 26, 2010 special meeting to discuss EDA finances, County Commissioner Bob Fenwick asked if the housing coordinator program is important and if it is self-sustaining. The board agreed it was very important, referring to the housing needs study completed by the EDA in 2006. “There is a need for affordable housing in this community that is not being met,” said EDA Director Matt Geretschlaeger.
The EDA contracted with Nancy Grabko of Community Fundraising Solutions (CFS) to seek funding for affordable housing projects and housing rehabilitation projects. The EDA contributes $30,000 of its $148,566 levy to the housing program.
EDA Board Chair Mike Littfin said Grabko “leverages” that $30,000 into much more. “By not paying that $30,000, we’d probably be losing $200,000 or more,” he said.
Littfin said for many years, Cook and Lake counties were not receiving funds for affordable housing development because there was no agency to apply for grants. Since she started as the housing coordinator, Grabko has garnered a $235,000 Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Small Cities Development Program (SCDP) grant to help eligible homeowners pay assessments for sewer extensions in Creechville and has obtained funding to rehabilitate 14 homes in Cook and Lake counties, with projects ranging from $2,200 to $30,000. Typical housing rehab projects include things such as replacement of windows, doors, installation of smoke alarms and stair rails, installation of sheet rock and taping of exposed fiberglass insulation, etc. The first step in these rehabilitations is testing the home to ensure that it does not contain lead.
Shortly after she assumed the housing coordinator position, Grabko set up lead certification training for local contractors, enabling North Shore builders to bid on these rehab jobs.
Grabko is available to help low-income county renters with Section 8 rental assistance.
Grabko was happy to report that the EDA was selected to receive funding from the MN Housing Partnership program to participate in training on ways to meet local housing needs and to sustain affordable housing in the community. Grabko, Director Matt Geretschlaeger and Board Member Jim Hall will be Cook County’s participants. This is a $15,000 value to the EDA, to be used for attendance at training and to host training in Cook County.
Although the EDA board points to the housing program as a success, creation of the housing program has not been without its difficulties. In March 2009, after months of struggling to get the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA) to complete a handful of housing assessments, Grabko hired another firm, HTP, Inc. to conduct evaluations so Cook County could meet an April 2009 deadline for funding. HTP met the deadline and Grabko reported to the EDA that she was very pleased with the work completed by HTP for the Small Cities Development Program (SCDP), noting that it was much faster than AEOA.
In December 2009, the EDA faced more frustration in its relationship with AEOA, when Cook County received notice that it had been removed from the joint Cook and Lake County 2010 application to the SCDP. At a December meeting, Grabko shared the news and said she believed Cook County’s removal was due to a negative letter from AEOA. In the letter an AEOA official claimed that it is difficult to work with clients in Cook County. EDA board members Bruce Martinson and Mike Littfin expressed unhappiness that AEOA had sent the letter stating that Cook County does not have certified LEAD contractors, since Grabko had arranged training, which was attended by numerous Cook County contractors. They also noted that if distance is as much an obstacle as the AEOA official claimed, the EDA should consider not working with AEOA at all.
At the December meeting, Grabko said the negative comments— and the removal from the SCDP grant application— were disheartening, since Cook County had obtained funds that could be used to match SCDP grants.
However, she encouraged the EDA board to let her try to find a way to collaborate with AEOA. Grabko returned to the EDA board in January with good news. Her meeting with Dana Hiltunen, AEOA director of housing services, went well. Grabko said steps for AEOA projects are now clearly outlined and a tighter timeline has been created. AEOA has also seen the value of working with Grabko and has agreed to an improved “service delivery model,” one which will reimburse Grabko for work with AEOA clients in Cook County.
And perhaps most importantly, AEOA will provide financial assistance for four projects in Cook County. While the EDA board expressed dismay that the number was low, Grabko said it was good news overall. “We’ve made huge progress over the last month,” she said.
She added that she will be traveling to St. Paul to talk to MN Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) representatives about the new collaborative effort with AEOA. DEED oversees the SCDP. “We’ll be able to move ahead with a joint application in the spring. I’m very optimistic.”
As is the EDA board.
At the January 26 meeting, Commissioner Fenwick asked, “So if you were to downsize and you had to cherry-pick one thing that could sustain itself, you believe it would be housing?” asked Fenwick.
The EDA board heartily agreed. Littfin said, “The housing program has been a complete and utter success. I would be dead-set against cutting that.”
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