HOUSING SUCESS STORIES: CITY OF NORFOLK, NEBRASKA
March 18, 2021
MARCH 2021 WEBINAR
Gary Bretschneider, the Executive Director of the City of Norfolk Housing Agency, and Tom Higginbotham, the Executive Director of the Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District, shared about their journey with infill revitalization. They discussed that every town has those houses that are condemned, dangerous, and an eye-sore for the community. Bretschneider and Higginbotham shared multiple success stories of the process to tear down and clean up properties for new housing construction.
Clearing the Decks for More Effective Housing Development: Local Government Edition
Discover how the City of Central City is transforming housing through an innovative Vacant Property Registry program that tackles blight and boosts community revitalization. In this engaging HomeNE webinar, Michelle Kohl, shares real-world strategies for managing vacant homes.
The 80th HomeNE Learning Network featured Jean Van Iperen, who discussed Columbus, Nebraska’s housing challenges and the city’s proactive strategies to address them. Jean highlighted the city’s 7% population growth and a shortage over 4 years of 387 homes, prompting efforts like zoning reform, streamlined permitting, and investment in new developments, including a 238-unit apartment complex. The city is also planning a new housing study, exploring affordable housing options, and considering mixed-use projects to meet evolving community needs. Participants were encouraged to revisit past webinars for insights and to attend the upcoming session on June 19th featuring Michelle Cole. The session emphasized the value of small takeaways from presentations and invited community members to share their stories for future webinars.
