Work is underway in Aurora, Hoyt Lakes, and McKinley to analyze and address housing issues in coordination with North Shore Development Company (NSDC). Each community has formed a cohort to work with NSDC, which is providing technical assistance. NSDC will help each community identify priorities related to local housing demand, along with proposed solutions in response to shortages and other challenges.
Outside of their technical assistance work in the region, NSDC helps developers and municipalities align visions, secure approvals, and access funding for development projects across the Iron Range and elsewhere. To help projects move along, key focus areas for NSDC include grant writing, management of public-private partnerships, site identification and evaluation, public approvals, and more services. They work on a wide variety of project types, including neighborhood redevelopment, adaptive reuse and downtown revitalization, and environmental cleanup and reuse of blighted or underutilized land. Infrastructure planning, funding strategy, and community-supported projects like workforce housing are among other NSDC specialties.
By working with NSDC, communities can gain a better understanding of their unique housing challenges and opportunities in light of historic and current trends, as well as future projections. NSDC can meet with key stakeholders, provide customized research, and assist communities with plan implementation.
“The work is challenging but meaningful, and the people are the best part,” shared NSDC Founder Jason Hale. “One of our mottos at NSDC is ‘Work hard and tell the truth.’ In this case, the truth often includes discouraging economic and demographic realities that our region faces. Still, we have been encouraged by how folks have received, understood, and seemingly accepted those realities. Even more encouraging has been their desire and will to try new things to really make a difference.”
The Aurora, Hoyt Lakes, and McKinley cohorts have received information on their local markets and identified several priorities for the engagement. Biwabik is exploring NSDC’s technical assistance opportunity as the new city administrator, Michael Schultz, settles into his position.
You can learn more about NSDC’s work on their website at northshoredevelopmentco.com.
The collaboration with NSDC builds on a foundation of coordinated efforts from recent years to analyze area housing supply and promote new developments across the East Range. One example is the creation of the Seller Readiness Rehabilitation Program, which provides funding support for housing development projects in the region.
Learn More: Seller Readiness Rehabilitation Program
