Workforce Housing Summit To Be Held In St. Cloud

(KNSI) – St. Cloud is holding a summit to find affordable places to live for the area’s labor force.

The United Way of Central Minnesota will co-present “Workforce Housing:
Experiences, Needs and Opportunities in Central Minnesota” on St. Cloud State University’s campus on Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. According to the UWCM, workforce housing is defined as housing affordable for workers making $15-30 dollars per hour. SCSU economist King Banaian estimates a person would need a full-time job paying $18.84 per hour to afford the rent of a two-bedroom apartment in the St. Cloud area.

According to officials, experts will take a look at the complexities surrounding housing and look for strategies to help understand the scope and magnitude of the housing problem, the impact it has on the community, the issues employers face in recruiting and keeping workers and the role safe, affordable housing plays the region’s workforce.

Economic developers, planners, builders, developers, elected officials, activists, academics, and area employers are encouraged to attend.

A study commissioned by St. Cloud in 2019 showed its population was expected to grow by more than 7,000, requiring nearly 3,000 households by 2030. The report says from 2030 to 2040, another 2,000 households will be needed.

Co-collaborators include St. Cloud State University School of Public Affairs, Initiative Foundation, CentraCare Health, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Central Minnesota Builders Association.

To register, click here.

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