WORKFORCE HOUSING: EXPERIENCES, NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA hosted by United Way of Central Minnesota.
Central Minnesota has a shortage of workforce-affordable housing. That is, housing that is affordable for workers making $15-30 dollars per hour. Many local companies are highly dependent on those workers and, with the current workforce shortage, making our community attractive to those workers is an important strategic concern. Our ability to grow as a community – economically, socially and demographically is on the line and this important issue needs to be addressed.
Through this event, we intend to share information and ideas on how to address the barriers to the development of workforce-affordable housing using objective data and highlighting the actions other communities have taken to address the issue.
We will also share data to help us :
It is our hope that this event will serve as a catalyst for collaborative, area-wide planning to address the mix of housing in our communities and secure a prosperous future for our area. The ultimate goal is that everyone who works in our communities can afford to live in our communities.
This event will be important for community development/planning staff, elected officials, employers, economic development professionals, developers and contractors and anyone interested in workforce development and the future of our communities.