Affordable housing encompasses a variety of living spaces. Northfield’s HRA Chair, Dayna Norvold, explains her definition is “what’s affordable for each person who wants to live here”. She added, “People are often surprised when I cited that about 27{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9} of households in Northfield have household incomes of less than $35,000 a year”. With that income, and keeping the house cost at 30{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9}, a family could only afford a home worth $120,000. She said that’s just not going to happen, “cost of construction is rising, we’re running out of land, particularly land
with infrastructure already there. So by the time you acquire the land, put infrastructure in and then build a modest home even, we’re approaching the $200,000 mark quite easily”. To afford that, you need to make $60,000. The HRA has partnered with Three Rivers Community Action for a 2nd addition to the Spring Creek townhomes, a 32 unit project estimated at $8.2 million. They’ll know by October if they receive dollars from the government. The HRA has grant money and loan money for current homeowners who need help for repairs. They also have 1st time home buyer help. Norvold said, “we believe that home ownership can change the trajectory of some people’s lives where it creates more stability than rental does. We certainly need affordable rental but the first time home buyer money is to help people bridge that gap between what houses cost on the market and what they’re financed for from a bank”. They were offering $9,000, they’re raising it to $15,000. Norvold would like to see more than that. She is the Executive Director of Rice County Habitat for Humanity.
Bly laments last legislative session
District 20b Representative David Bly attended his last legislative session as he retires from political life. As a DFLer, he lamented everything the Republicans did this session. He called the bonding bill offered by the Republicans “a poison pill” because there was cash they wanted to take from one fund to give to another. Commenting on Governor Dayton’s response, “I mean should he open the door to legislators being able to rob these funds to do something else?” Bly commented on the bill that Dayton vetoed regarding increased penalties for protesters who block freeways saying it inhibits labor unions, he said, “this would have prohibited labor strikes in certain areas as well so, or maybe not prohibited necessarily but increased the fines or the penalties for those and I think that there was a number of labor unions that said, this is just wrong. We accept that they’re ought to be some sort of penalty if, but to make this a felony or to make it as severe a penalty as they’re talking about will inhibit the ability for unions to go on strike if they want to in certain cases in certain areas”. The penalty would have actually increased to a gross misdemeanor with a fine of $3,000. In Dayton’s letter to the Republicans stating why he vetoed the bill, he said only that the language referring to freeways, airports, etc. which reads, “tends to interfere or obstruct” is too vague. Supporters say increasing penalties would improve public safety. While Bly is not running for re-election, he is still our Representative through the end of the year. He remains on the Water commission and Energy commission. His full interview is on kymn.net. He was also on the Wayne Eddy Affair on Wednesday.
Nfld Charter seeks volunteer, Nakasian files for Ward 1
The City of Northfield is seeking applicants to fill a Charter Commission seat. Emy Farley is moving so she’s resigned. For more information go to the City’s website Charter Commission page. Any registered voter of Northfield can submit an application. Applications are due by 4pm June 8th. And Suzie Nakasian has filed for Councilor in Ward 1. A seat she’s held for 8 years. KYMN will keep you updated on local candidate filings as they come in.
