The housing shortage in Red Wing is not a secret to anyone who has tried to move to or within the city in the last few years. According to a study done by the Red Wing HRA in 2014, fewer than 1 percent of apartments in buildings with eight or more units were available.

A lack of housing is not only frustrating for those who hope or need to move, but it can also impact the city's economy.

On Saturday, Nov. 3, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar visited Red Wing as part of her tour to visit all 87 counties in Minnesota. While here, Klobuchar spoke with a variety of community members at a round table discussion. One topic that continually came up was the need for more housing.

Travis Thul, the dean of trade and technology at Minnesota State College Southeast, told the senator, "We can't fill the needs of the industrial and technical community. The unemployment rate in this region is somewhere between zero and 1 percent."

This means that almost everyone who is eligible and wanting to work in Red Wing has a job. To fill existing job openings, people from outside of the community would need to be hired.

However, Burke Murphy, who served as the discussion leader, stated, "1,000 jobs, we're being told, are not being filled just because we do not have proper housing."

To put that in perspective, there were only 154 properties for sale in Red Wing listed online on Thursday, Nov. 15. Many of those properties were either empty lots or "diamond in the rough" housing units.

The housing chapter of the Red Wing 2040 draft plan also points to the need for more housing to fill jobs. The chapter states, "Red Wing has experienced a significant slowdown in both its population and workforce growth. A housing shortage, indicated by low vacancy rates and limited new housing development, is most likely contributing to this slowdown. If housing options remain limited, it will be difficult to attract new residents and an adequate workforce for the community's employers."

During the conversation on Nov. 3, Klobuchar stated, "Literally, we're going to start losing business if we can't fill the jobs in greater Minnesota."

According to the 2040 plan, the percentage of household income spent on rent and mortgages is increasing, despite the the stall in new housing units. This leaves less money available for both essential items and leisure spending. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average rent in Red Wing is $704 a month.

Red Wing has a variety of programs meant to help people with housing. One is the Housing and Redevelopment Authority. The HRA has 223 affordable housing units within the city. These units, which vary in size from one-bedroom apartments to a four-bedroom house, are in the Jordan Towers and four family-housing buildings. In the last five years, there has been a drastic increase in the number of people on waiting lists for HRA housing.

In August 2014, there were 127 applications on waiting lists for assisted housing. In August 2018, that number had increased more than three times to 445 applications. It should be noted that people can be on more than one HRA waitlist at a time, so the number of applications does not equal the number of applicants.

The HRA also has a limited number of Section 8 vouchers that Red Wing residents can use. These vouchers help offset rental costs for units that are not owned by the HRA by helping to pay monthly rent. Currently, there are 25 applicants with Section 8 vouchers shopping for a rental unit. Meanwhile, there are 218 people waiting for vouchers. Even with a voucher, finding a place to rent can be difficult due to the housing shortage and the fact that not all landlords accept Section 8 applications.

The draft of the housing chapter in Red Wing's 2040 Plan lists four goals to help expand the city's housing market:

• Increase the quantity and diversity of affordable housing options for the community's range of household types.

• Foster supportive housing programs that assist in preventing homelessness.

• Create a system for updating and renovating existing rented and owned housing properties.

• Resolve the City's housing shortage by increasing the quantity and diversity of new housing development.

While the year 2040 may be a couple of decades away, the community is already working to improve the housing situation in Red Wing. As the Republican Eagle reported in October, the City Council approved a plan for two new housing developments that will have a total of 186 units. The units will include senior living, affordable housing and market-rate housing.

The HOPE Coalition provides short-term and long-term transitional housing, According to Jack Norgaard, a coalition volunteer, the organization provided housing and/or sanctuary for about 120 people in fiscal year 2017.

The 2040 Plan draft concludes, "As the community's household composition continues to change and diversify, the housing options have not kept up with these changes. There is a need for increasing the diversity of housing options to met the needs and preferences for senior, workforce, rental and starter housing."