THE BENKELMAN STORY
May 16, 2019
MAY 2019 WEBINAR
Megan Spargo, a Benkelman CRA Coordinator, shared the Benkelman Story foundation story, which touches on a community gaining traction, getting community buy-in, and preparing a community for housing. The process that the Benkelman Story capitalizes on is INVESTING: invest in people, invest time & effort, invest in community improvements, providing investment vehicles, which leads to strategic positioning & success. This story touches on Benkelman, Nebraska's journey to start a housing project, starting with five vacant and dilapidated houses.
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.
