MINOT, N.D. (AP) - A project meant to provide affordable housing for Minot residents displaced by the 2011 Souris River flood or buyouts has been shelved.
The City Council has rejected developer proposals and set the idea aside because of a slowed real estate market, the Minot Daily News reported.
The city received two proposals at a recent meeting from developers interested in a National Disaster Resilience program to make 35 lots available for home construction. Neither developer met the requirement for zoning and utilities.
John Zakian is the manager of Minot’s National Disaster Resilience Program. He says past decisions on development projects involving federal funds were largely being influenced by the developer. Minot is now moving to more of a shared decision making.
“The problem at hand is that we are looking at initiatives that are primarily - for lack of a better term - being propped up by federal funds,” said Zakian. “The worst thing you want to do is try to inject ourselves, using federal funds, into a market that’s soft right now.”
Joel Feist is among those whose proposal was rejected. He said the program assists people in buying existing homes and with the resilient neighborhood concept, they would have the option of building a home.
Feist said the council has “taken away a choice from the citizens” by rejecting the proposals.
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Information from: Minot Daily News, http://www.minotdailynews.com
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