Rural Housing Solutions
Sheri Alber • June 20, 2024
Rural Housing Solutions
Hear how the community of Sidney, NE turned their community around after the departure of Cabela's/Bass Pro. When Bass Pro bought out long time business Cabela's and moved the operations to Missouri, citizens of Sidney made a decision to prove people wrong. One newspaper article was even published that the last person out of Sidney should turn out the lights. The citizens came together and made a difference in their community. They went from having over 200 houses for sale after the closing of the headquarters to being in a housing shortage in 2024.
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.
