The public is invited to learn more about workforce housing next month when the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) hosts a forum on the state’s Workforce Housing Development Program.

The Austin meeting will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Ruby Rupner Auditorium inside the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center.

DEED will begin accepting applications on Nov. 2 for program grants.
The program, which is open to cities and joint county-city economic development authorities in Greater Minnesota, provides matching funds that communities can use to encourage developers to build market-rate rental housing.

A total of $2 million will be awarded by the program next year and another $2 million in 2017. 
Under the program, grants cannot exceed 25 percent of the cost of building a new rental housing development. Units of local government, nonprofits or benefiting businesses must contribute $1 for every $2 provided by the program. 
The deadline for applying for next year’s round of funding is Jan. 15, 2016.

Projects will be selected on the basis of need, statewide economic impact, project financial plan and project readiness. Preference will be given to areas with fewer than 18,000 people.

DEED launched a pilot version of the program last year to encourage new housing in Roseau and Pennington counties. Both areas of the state are struggling with housing shortages that make it difficult to attract workers for growing businesses like Polaris Industries in Roseau and Digi-Key in Thief River Falls. Developers say the cost of housing construction in those areas often is higher than the value of the buildings being built.