Stearns County Commits $165,000 To Avivo Village Shelter

(KNSI) – Stearns County is beginning to spend some of the $715,000 war chest it has amassed in Statewide Affordable Housing Aid funds.

Passed by the state legislature in 2022, SAHA money goes to local and county governments in greater Minnesota to boost low-income housing development. Administrator Mike Williams notes the board of commissioners approved $165,000 in SAHA funds for the Avivo Village shelter being built in St. Cloud at Tuesday’s meeting.

It helps reduce a $610,000 funding shortfall for the project. Williams says, “It should be enough to help them with their energy efficient HVAC system. They can put in a better building shell, so that their heating cooling costs are less.”

The hope is that by bringing down operational costs, it will make the shelter fiscally sustainable without consistent government contributions. Williams believes the move is the right one. “We, of course, want them to succeed in providing those services, and we also don’t want to be involved in helping them with their operating expenses on an annual basis. So, I think this was a good use of those funds.”

Williams expects Sherburne County to chip in SAHA funds as well and hopes Benton County would do the same.

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