Recently, Sherburne County hosted a public forum with leaders from around the county to discuss their housing study. This forum was led by the county’s economic director, Brian Fleming. The study showed a significant need for increased housing, and the forum served as an opportunity for community leaders to voice their opinions on how those goals should be accomplished. 

Housing Needs

The county’s housing study indicated that general demand for housing would rise to 2,775 units needed, between houses and rental options, by 2030. The need for senior housing would grow to 2,133. Fleming said the county would like to see an additional 609 units for general housing and 441 units for seniors by 2026, to keep on track with the 2030 goals. 

Besides the need for more housing, the housing study also indicated that 15% of Sherburne County homeowners are “cost-burdened,” meaning they pay more than 30% of their income for housing. Fleming cited research from Princeton University which showed that cost-burdened individuals have a lower life-expectancy. 

For rentals, Fleming noted that a healthy vacancy rate is around 3-5% of the rental stock available. This means that landlords are effectively making money, but also giving options for renters. Currently, the county has a 1-2% vacancy rate, which means there are not enough options available for those who would like to rent. 

Solutions

The county has come up with a few solutions to help meet their housing goals. 

Around 60% of the county’s housing stock was built prior to 2000, meaning those who wish to sell their homes are likely to need to bring the house up to standards to complete the sale. To aid in this, the county is offering a homeowner rehabilitation loan program to help homeowners pay for updates in order to sell their homes. 

During the forum, the audience was encouraged to mingle and exchange contact information to come up with further solutions at a later time. Representatives of townships and cities across the county, as well as leaders of housing organizations put their heads together to come up with possible solutions and exchanged information to connect again at a later date.