By TJ
Jun 3, 2021 | 9:42 AM
The Winona area faces a serious affordable housing shortage and building sufficient numbers of homes to meet demand has been challenging without enough skilled workers to replace those who retire.
Winona County Profile data shows that the County needs hundreds more affordable owner-occupied housing units. The construction industry needs an influx of new professionals. Habitat for Humanity Winona-Fillmore Counties and Minnesota State College Southeast are teaming up to forge a solution.
The nonprofit and the college will collaborate on the construction of one new rural home per year for qualified Habitat for Humanity homebuyers, and the work will serve as the lab for MSC SoutheastConstruction Technology students. Using post-construction financing through the USDA 502 program, funds used to build the home will immediately be recycled into the program.