Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation
Discusses Regional Housing Issues

The Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation recently held a kickoff meeting to further the development of housing capacity and networking in southern Minnesota. The regional collaborative group of affordable housing specialists is one of the networks sponsored by the foundation, expressing its commitment to build stronger communities and businesses in southern Minnesota.

State representative Bob Gunther expressed support for the Southern Minnesota Regional Housing Academy, which provides community development specialists a place to learn and share best practices, as well as an opportunity for communities to meet and learn from funding agencies and developmers. "These dialogues are helpful to me to be able to identify housing issues within the region that I can move forward into state policy," said Gunther, who chairs the committee that oversees housing in the state.

At the next dialogue on November 4, the academy will learn about current federal issues and how recent and pending policy changes will affect local communities. Invited speakers include housing policy experts, regional housing authority directors and congressional representatives and staff.

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