Housing Resources
The primary goal of the HRDC's Housing Resources department is to help local customers develop and implement strategies to create desirable living and working environments. This includes housing efforts, downtown and neighborhood improvements, growth management, park and recreation planning, and transportation improvements. HRDC offers various housing resources to assist low and moderate-income households in achieving homeownership and maintaining safe homes, such as down payment assistance, forgivable loans for essential home improvements, and affordable loans prioritizing accessibility and energy efficiency. Additionally, HRDC engages in placemaking activities to foster healthy, thriving communities.
Homeownership Assistance Programs
HRDC provides various housing resources to help low and moderate-income households achieve homeownership. These include three income-based down payment assistance programs: Beltrami County HRA, which offers down payment and closing cost assistance for Beltrami County residents; HHDC, which provides financial help for homebuyers in the Headwaters Region; and 1st Generation Assistance, which offers significant down payment aid to reduce the racial gap in homeownership.
Beltrami County HRA Entry Cost Assistance Program
Beltrami County HRA administers a down payment assistance program designed to promote home ownership. Through this program, the HRA offers loans that are deferred with no interest for five years. Repayment of the principal begins after 5 years at 6% interest.
Terms:
- Households may not have more than $7,500 in liquid assets post-closing
- Preference is given to purchases of 10 acres or less
- Home must appraise for at least $60,000
- Borrowers must take Homestretch or Framework Workshop
To learn more about Beltrami County HRA activities click here
Headwaters Housing Development Corporation (HHDC) Entry Cost Assistance Program
The Affordable Housing Entry Cost Assistance Program aims to help low and moderate-income households in the Headwaters Region become homeowners. Eligible properties must be located in Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Mahnomen, and Lake of the Woods Counties
Terms:
- Applicants must meet income guidelines.
- Up to $5,000 for down payment and/or closing costs.
- Interest-only payments for the first year.
- Principal and interest payments for the following 9 years.
- Must be working with a lender.
To learn more about HHDC activities click here
1st Generation Community Down Payment Assistance Fund
This fund addresses the racial gap in homeownership
Terms:
- 10% of the purchase price, with a maximum of $32,000 for down payment or closing costs
- $0 monthly payments with 0% interest.
- 5-year forgivable loan.
To learn more about the 1st Generation Community Down Payment Assistance Fund click here
Brooke Jenkins
Lending and Accounting Specialist
bjenkins@hrdc.org
218-333-6548
Home Improvement Programs
HRDC offers two programs through the MN Housing. These programs offer options for homeowners to make necessary updates to their home to keep them safer, more accessible, and energy efficient
Rehabilitation Loan/Emergency and Accessibility Loan Programs
These programs assist low-income homeowners in financing essential home improvements that enhance safety, habitability, energy efficiency, or accessibility. The Emergency and Accessibility Loan Program specifically addresses urgent home repairs or accessibility needs for disabled residents, with prior approval from Minnesota Housing.
- To be eligible, you must:
- Meet program income limit
- Not have assets exceeding $25,000
- Own and occupy the property to be rehabilitated
- Be current on property taxes and mortgages
- Have homeowner insurance in effect at time of loan closing.
- Program Features
- Maximum loan amount is $37,500
- Maximum loan term is 15 years for properties taxed as real property and 10 years for mobile/manufactured homes taxed as personal property located in a mobile home park
- Loans are forgiven if you do not sell, transfer title, or cease to occupy the property during the loan term.
- Various property types are eligible including, but not limited to, single family homes, duplexes, a condominium unit, and manufactured housing taxed as real or personal property.
MN Housing Fix Up Program
This program offers monthly payment loans to households with an annual income of $139,200 or less. The income limit is waived for accessibility improvements for disabled family members or specific energy upgrades.
- Program Features
- Affordable, fixed interest rates with lower interest rate for energy conservation and accessibility improvements.
- Higher loan-to-value ratio on secured loans than traditional loan products
Don’t have equity in your home?
The Fix Up Program has an Unsecured Loan Option just for you!
Longer repayment terms means lower payments. Hire a contractor or do the work yourself. No prepayment penalty.
Fill out the Owner Occupied Rehab Intake form to determine which programs you could be eligible for.
Brooke Jenkins
Lending and Accounting Specialist
bjenkins@hrdc.org
218-333-6548
Placemaking
Placemaking is a strategic, multi-faceted approach to creating communities where people want to live, work, and thrive. It is a highly collaborative, people-centered process that involves the active participation of community members in shaping their neighborhoods. By leveraging the ideas and assets of local residents, placemaking fosters strong, connected neighborhoods and enhances civic engagement. This approach not only improves economic outcomes and accessibility but also unlocks the potential of neighborhoods, increasing community satisfaction, quality of life, and overall well-being. Creating and maintaining healthy, thriving communities through activities such as neighborhood picnics, listening sessions, relationship-building events, and collaboration with community resource agencies is central to this process. Ultimately, placemaking empowers communities to work together on shared values, creating a vibrant and cohesive environment.
Sandy Hennum
Community Development Planner
shennum@hrdc.org
218-333-6542
Supportive Housing
Conifer Estates
Conifer Estates is a twenty unit supportive and transitional housing project in Bemidji. Financing for the project was provided by Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA), Greater Minnesota Housing Fund (GMHF), and Federal Home Loan Bank through First National Bank of Bemidji. The HRA is the owner of the facility and has executed a Facility Lease and Management Agreement with Headwaters Housing Development Corporation in which the organizations have agreed that the facility will be operated exclusively by HHDC under the terms of the agreements with MHFA. HHDC has contracted with DW Jones, Inc. to provide property management services and case management services are provided by Bi-CAP, Inc., Red Lake Housing and Leech Lake Housing.
For rental information contact DW Jones or Bi-CAP, Inc.
Confier Villas
Phase II of the Conifer project has come to completion and full occupancy as of September 2021. There are four townhome buildings with 8 units serving 32 low-income and homeless households. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held September 3rd with an honored appearance from Senator Tina Smith. Financing for the project was similar to Estates with funding from MHFA, GMHF, and FHLB. The difference would be that this was a tax credits project which added another layer of special reporting and requirements. Conifer Villas LP is the owner which is staffed by HRDC with the HHDC as the governing Board. DW Jones is the property manager with case management services provided by Housing Matters, Red Lake Housing Authority, with some section 8 units.
For rental information contact DW Jones
East Conifer Estates
Phase III of the Conifer campus will be completed in August of 2022 and will be 3 town-home style buildings with 8 units to serving 24 low-income or homeless households. A groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the hard work of our partners and HRDC staff took place August 18th with an honored appearance from Housing Commissioner Jennifer Ho. Financing for this project was also from MHFA and FHLB. Unique to the financing was the new behavioral health bonds which sets the project up for behavioral health services which are to be provided by Housing Matters. Red Lake housing authority and section 8 also have units at East Conifer Estates with DW Jones as property manager.
For rental information contact DW Jones
Rhonda Walters
Community Development Planner
rwalters@hrdc.org
218-333-6538
Village of Hope
The Village of Hope is an emergency facility developed by Ours to Serve House of Hospitality. The Village of Hope provides shelter to low income homeless families in and around Beltrami County.
Sandy Hennum
Community Development Planner
shennum@hrdc.org
218-333-6542
High School Built Construction Program
Since 1994 Headwaters Regional Development Commission and Headwaters Housing Development Corporation have partnered with Bemidji High School. Since then we have built over 50 homes. They currently build one to two homes per year with the Bemidji High School Career Academies and the Northwest Technical College in the City of Bemidji
Rhonda Walters
Community Development Planner
rwalters@hrdc.org
218-333-6538