Two housing related news items to share. In Homeowners testify before House committee, the Fillmore County Journal's Tom Driscoll takes a look at state Housing Policy and Public Health Finance Division Committee hearings in Rushford:
Unsteady, fat chalk-marks of frost trace the bottom of road ditches. Cold wind rips the last few leaves out of colorless trees. In Rushford, demolition of flood-wrecked houses continues. New basement walls rise out of holes scooped clean of debris. Property-owners with the wherewithal and presence of mind to rebuild back in August may have a roof on by Thanksgiving. Or Christmas. While others, perhaps still reeling from new debt piled on total loss, are still filing paperwork with Federal and State agencies mobilized to assist in the recovery.
On Wednesday, November 14, following a tour of Rushford neighborhoods hardest hit by last August's flashflood, a bi-partisan contingent from the Housing Policy and Public Health Finance Division Committee of the Minnesota House, as well as local State Representatives, Senate and Congressional staffers, and officials from the Public Health Department and the Housing Finance Agency participated a town meeting style hearing to scrutinize aid to property-owners last Wednesday.
Local state rep Ken Tschumper notes the team work approach:
What about SBA? Will the Federal government go for this?
"SBA is the 800-pound gorilla here. Rightly so, they have a lot more money. But we're taking a team approach. Senator Klobuchar and Congressman Walz both sent aides to the hearing. They're working on this. So is State Senator Sharon Ropes. In the end, if we can't work with SBA - smaller loans with longer repayment terms, loan consolidation and the one-to-one match - then we'll know what we need to revise our housing program.". . .
In the New Ulm Journal, more coverage on the Habitat for Humanity home dedication covered earlier by KEYC-TV. In New Habitat home dedicated in New Ulm,
Some of the people in attendance included many of the people who helped with the project, Congressman Tim Walz, New Ulm City Council President Dan Beranek, Pastor Hank Campbell, and the Anderson family.
“It’s really a great cause that we can do in New Ulm for people ... and it’s always a happy occasion,” said Pastor Hank Campbell, who serves as pastor of United Church of Christ UCC in New Ulm and who also helped to lead the ceremony. . . .
. . .“We congratulate you on your new home (to Michelle and Abby). Thank you to anyone who had a part,” said Janell Spelbrink, Manager of Lutheran Community Services for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, “Thrivent is very proud of the volunteer efforts of their members.”
Walz and Beranek echoed the congratulations, and thanked the volunteers for their efforts.
In the netroots, MnPublius predicts that things might be a bit rough in the U.S. House in The Delegation Meeting Is Going To Be Awkward: Walz v. Kline.
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