Board Encouraged To Discuss How Housing Affects The Local Economy

By Carrie Pitzer
[email protected]

While it may not be news to residents, it is now official: Orchard is suffering from a housing shortage. 

Brenda Jensen, a certified community planner for Miller & Associates in Kearney, used Monday’s Village of Orchard meeting to go over the recently completed housing study.

Each housing study provided research analysis for housing grant opportunities for CORE Development. Orchard is one of 11 community members working to improve housing in the communities served by CORE. 

Jensen reviewed the 37-page document during the house study’s public hearing and told board members housing is a crucial aspect of the prosperity of Orchard. Whether it is identifying needs for new market-rate housing or ways to encourage development of affordable housing options, Jensen said Orchard must work to constantly assess and improve the Village’s housing market. 

“These are conversations you should be having with local employers to determine how the local housing market is affecting their ability to expand their business or retain employees,” Jensen said. “The housing market really does have an impact on local businesses. It shows the business owners that you as a community care and want them here.”

The study included population trends as well as economic impacts. Jensen said while Orchard’s population decreased 3.1 percent from 2000 to 2010, she said a .32 percent growth is feasible in the future.

“If your population were to grow to 404 people by 2025, you would still have a need to construct 21 homes,” she said. “It’s not that you need 21 additional homes, you need homes to replace the ones that need demolished.”

Regardless of growth, new homes or rehabilitated homes are still necessary due to the conditions. Jensen said about 40 percent of Orchard’s homes were built prior to 1940. The median home value is $42,900 — about $35,000 less than Antelope County’s median value.

Orchard isn’t seeing the population decreases that others are. Brunswick has decreased -22.9 percent from 2000 to 2010 while Royal is down 16 percent. Inman is down 12.8 percent, and Ewing has decreased 10.6 percent. Page has increased 5.7 percent.

“A .32 percent growth rate is feasible for Orchard. You have a great school district that you’re a part of. You have a lot of employment opportunities, but you’re also really close to larger communities and people do commute if they can’t find employment in Orchard,” Jensen said. “That’s a positive thing because that means people want to live in your community and want to send their kids to school here.”

Jensen said proximity to employment opportunities tends to be a very important factor for residents and potential residents. Labor force and housing are complementary forces that are essential to the self-sustainability of each community. 

The 2010-2014 ACS estimated 4.9 percent were unemployed, which is silightly lower than the national rate of 6.1 percent, according to the study. The mean commute time to work is 15.3 minutes. 

The mean household income in Orchard is $33,438, which is below the county’s average of $45,417. The state’s average is $52,400. 

In order to make housing market improvements, Jensen said the village should work to meet specific goals. Jensen outlined those goals as being as follows:

• Clean up vacant lots and uninhabitable properties.
• Enforce property up-keep through nuisance abatement program
• Work with local businesses to determine housing needs for employees
• Continue owner-occupied housing rehabilitation program
• Inventory infill lots and promote infill development
• Encourage utilization of funding opportunitis for renters, homeowners and developers
• Create investment group to develop spec homes
• Develop purchase-rehab-resell program
• Locate areas for future residential development

Jensen talked to the board about ways area communities have worked to improve housing. Stuart has private individuals building spec homes while Elgin is working to rehab homes to resell. 

Jensen said there are many types of funding and assistance programs available to the community and property owners from local, regional, state and federal programs. 

Among the programs mentioned were the Northeast Nebraska Community Action Partnership, Habitat For Humanity Revitalization, Prairie Gold Homes, USDA Rural Development, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Nebraska Investment Finance Authority, Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District, CORE Development and Tax Increment Financing.