A grant for a housing needs survey in Britton has been approved by the South Dakota Housing Development Authority (SDHDA).

Study to identify Britton’s housing needs

By Britton Journal February 13, 2013

Britton Journal

A grant for a housing needs survey in Britton has been approved by the South Dakota Housing Development Authority (SDHDA).
“The purpose of the study is to address current and future housing needs,” said Glacial Lakes Area Development (GLAD) Executive Director Scott Amundson, who is coordinating the effort. “It is the first step in coming up with a housing plan for the city and is required if we would have any federal involvement down the road as far as low interest loans or grants. And if we want to expand our industrial base in the future we have to have adequate housing to meet that need.”

The grant pays for half of the study ($3,750). The remainder of the funding will come from GLAD, the City of Britton, Marshall County, Horton, Inc., Britton Lumber, Precision Wall Systems, and Truss-Pros, Inc.
Plans call for the study to begin sometime in March or April and it will take about three months to complete. Community Partners Research of Faribault, MN, will conduct the study that will include a community survey, interviews of community leaders and a public meeting to outline results.

Communities of 10,000 or less people are eligible for the program that is designed to aid community decision makers and the public in developing a meaningful sense of the housing market in the community as well as an understanding of key housing issues.
Based on market information, the study will provide a measured assessment of present and future housing demands for the community, focusing on short to mid-term housing demand (2-15 years). It will also determine demand in various categories including new construction, rehab, senior housing, family housing, rental and home ownership, along with the price range for demand in various categories.

“It’s important to have this information in order to develop expectations with respect to economic, employment and population change in the community in the next two to five years, the next 10 years and the next 15 years,” noted Amundson. “It’s also important to be done by an unbiased outside source. We think we know what we need, but we’re seeing it from the inside looking out.”