“People have this mental model about housing that … losing money on a project doesn’t make sense when, in fact, it does, when it is an investment in workforce housing stock in the community. It’s an economic development investment, just like putting in a development park or a new sewer and water line to the new housing development. … It’s ... Read More »
Revitalizing an older housing market takes innovation, time and someone to see the possibilities lying dormant beneath neglect or age. And money. Some might say that last part’s the kicker. Kim Ehlers of White Lake, S.D., is a former real estate agent who is looking for investment properties, and her husband, John, is a retired carpenter. If they could impart ... Read More »
by Wendy Royston with additional reporting by Rebecca Froehlich Sometimes, the key to advancing housing in a community starts with what you already have. “The neatest houses in Centerville are some of the older ones that have been rehabbed,” said Bill Hansen, former executive director of the Centerville Development Corp. “These houses that … have some historical significance that we ... Read More »
by Doug Card & Wendy Royston The late S.D. Gov. Bill Janklow left a complicated legacy—even before the car crash that resulted in a fatality and forced him from public office, about eight years before his death in 2012. His effect on rural housing, however, was significant—and continues today. He “perceived that much economic development—which, in simple form, is called ... Read More »
Inspired by the difference a group of volunteer painters made on a home and a neighborhood through the Paint South Dakota program last summer, one community in the southeastern part of the state is working to create its own program, in order to more quickly spruce up the town. “It’s all about economic effect,” said Larry Johnke, a board member ... Read More »
by Wendy Royston with additional reporting by Kristin Brekke Vandersnick Does your rural community need new rental housing? If so, it’s likely that rental rates will have to increase to make that possible. Many recent housing studies conducted in rural communities recommend rate increases because current rents won’t cover the payments for new construction. Rents in smaller communities with fewer ... Read More »
Once a community decides to pursue new housing, the natural next question is, “Where?” “That depends on the community and the type of tenant,” according to Margot Gillette, executive director of Beadle and Spink Enterprise Community. In and around small towns, land isn’t always advertised as “for sale,” but Gillette said that doesn’t always mean it’s not. “It’s a lot ... Read More »
The community of Delmont, S.D., already struggled with decreasing population when an EF-2 tornado damaged or destroyed about one-third of its homes on Mother’s Day 2015. What emerged from the debris was enhanced camaraderie and the opportunity to reimagine the future. Most Dakotans know the feeling of hunkering down during severe weather, listening to roaring thunder and the suddenly angry ... Read More »
A project of Design:SD • Illustrations by Paul H. Boerboom, AIA, and Jeremy Altman, Assoc. AIA Adapted primarily from: AIA’s Ten Principles for Livable Communities, with inspiration from Minnesota Design Team and several other sources When you start designing projects for your community, how do you know they will actually work—that whatever you build will be used, and loved, and ... Read More »
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