By Rich Larson, News Director
Among the problems the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated across Minnesota is the state housing shortage. Melissa Hanson, the Housing
Coordinator for the City of Northfield, said that the problem in Northfield has become acute.
Hanson said the City needs more housing across the entire spectrum. In fact, she said, the vacancy rate in the city right now stands at a miniscule 0.1%. She said that means there is virtually no movement, which also means there are no options and no choices.
Hanson said that there is no one area where the need is strongest.
“It’s not just the affordable housing. We also need higher end homes too, so that the families that are in that naturally occurring affordable housing, the older homes, can move up and out and allow other families to move in.”
Mayor Rhonda Pownell pointed out that without a growth in housing the city economy is constrained and could even stagnate. It leaves little room for business growth, because companies are not able to hire from outside of the area if there is nowhere to live.
Hanson said there are areas being developed right now, pointing to the Bluffview, Southbridge and Spring Creek II developments which are in various stages of becoming reality, and the 5th Street Lofts building which is now nearing completion. But right now, the supply is not keeping up with the demand.
Hanson said that Northfield is not unique. The state has a shortage of housing and indeed this is a growing problem across the country. But it can be difficult to attract builders to Northfield for various reasons. Many developers rely on Tax Increment Financing to build affordable housing, and that can be a much more lucrative proposition in the Twin Cities than it is here. She said the city is looking for innovative ways to stimulate more development of all types.
“The bottom line,” she said, “is we just need more housing.”
Hillmann discusses student testing
The Northfield school district is asking for the cooperation of all students’ families to help ensure that the year finishes without any more disruption by having their kids tested regularly for Covid-19.
Northfield School Superintendent Dr. Matt Hillmann said that no student is required to be tested, but the Minnesota Department of Health is recommending that all students be tested once every two weeks and that student athletes be tested every week.
Dr. Hillmann acknowledged that there is a concern among parents for having their child tested because of the ramifications of that test coming back positive, but he said that is actually the point. Asymptomatic carriers of Covid-19 remain a large problem in fighting the spread of the virus, and people who have the virus but do not show any symptoms are still contagious. The only way to know if someone is an asymptomatic carrier is through testing.
Hillmann said getting a Covid-19 test is very easy right now. MDH offers free at-home testing kits that can be ordered through their website, and the district has applied to be a solo testing site, meaning that students could possibly be tested at school. Hillmann said he had one very simple message to students and their families.
“I want to encourage our families to not be afraid of testing. Testing is one of the most significant tools that we have to be able to complete the school year in the most positive way possible. So go to the Department of Health website. Order that test to come to your house. It’s easy and it’s an important way to help us finish the school year, again, as safely as possible.”
Northfield High School and Middle School students are scheduled to return to full time in-person learning next Wednesday.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Dr. Matt Hillmann can be heard here.
City and Curbside Compost will offer ‘How-To’ webinars.
The City of Northfield in collaboration with Northfield Curbside Compost will hold a series of webinars designed to educate and instruct people about the ins, outs, and intricacies of composting and recycling.
The three webinars will be offered over three consecutive Wednesdays at 7pm. The first, How to Recycle and Compost in Northfield will be this coming Wednesday, March 31. The second, At Home Composting will be April 5, and the third, Compost Communication, April 12.
A major provision of the city’s Climate Action Plan is to eliminate 100% of organic materials from the waste stream by 2025 through a robust composting program. These webinars are a means to that end. Participants will learn how to dispose of waste correctly, how to create a backyard compost pile, and how to spread the word about the importance of composting.
The webinars are free and will be presented via Zoom. Registration is required. Those interested can register at the City of Northfield website.
