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Update on Vietnam Era Veterans
<br />Downpayment Assistance Program
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<br /> is still available under thc Minnesota Housing
<br /> Financing
<br />Finance Agency's Vietnam Era Veterans Downpayment
<br />Assistance Program (see article in January 1981 "Briefs").
<br />Thc program, which began operating earlier this year,
<br />provides I0 percent of the purchased price (up to $4,000) in
<br />dov.'npaymcnt a~:istancc to eligible Vietnam cra veterans or
<br />dependents who are buying their first home. The veteran
<br />should have served at some time between August 5, 1964 and
<br />May 7, 1975. A veteran's dependent is the unmarried
<br />SLit'ViVillg Sl)Ot,:,C (,f ;~ Vit.'Iri~l{~ ClOt VCicran.
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<br />inaxJhA~m pulcJlasc price for new and existing homes, and
<br />the maximum annual adjusted income for pro,am
<br />eligibility, is available from MHFA.
<br /> Assistance is in thc form of an interest-free loan that is to
<br />bc repaid when the veteran no longer occupies the property.
<br />The primary financing be a l]ew VA first mortgage, an
<br />assumption of an existing moNgage, or a contract for deed.
<br />Applications are taken by the Veterans Service Officer in the
<br />county in which thc house is located. For more information
<br />on the Vietnam Era Veterans Downpayment Assistan~
<br />Program, contact a county Veterans Se~ice Offi~r or the
<br />MHFA, 200 Nalpak Building, 333 Sibley Street, St. Paul,
<br />MN (612/2907613).
<br /> 55101
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<br />Southeastern Minnesota
<br />Multi-County HRA Takes Shape
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<br /> The Goodhue-Rice-Wabasha Citizens Action' Council
<br />(GRWCAC) has been concerned about housing stock
<br />deficiencies in the area for some time. In light of this, the
<br />GRWCAC Board of Directors adopted resolutions
<br />in the fall of 1977 aimed at facilitating the design and
<br />development of a multi-county Housing and
<br />Redevelopment Authority.
<br /> Initial response from community leaders and public
<br />officials in all three counties was very encouraging. The Rice
<br />County HRA was formally established on July 5, 1978 and
<br />Wabasha county followed suit on February 28, 1979.
<br /> Then for a period of time the prospects for a multi-county
<br />Housing Authority slowed. Community leaders in both
<br />counties had succinct and differing views of how their
<br />housing needs should be met. Coupled with this,
<br />development activity and movement in Goodhue County
<br />nearly ground to a halt.
<br /> All difficulties aside, GRWCAC proceeded to apply for
<br />and secure housing projects. Grants were procured from
<br />MHFA and in June 1979 HUD funded Section 8 Existing
<br />Projects in both Rice and Wabasha counties. This funding
<br />was enough of an initiative for Rice County to hire an
<br />Executive Director and become a separate
<br />entity. Primarily because of Wabasha County's size, the
<br />HRA Commissioners opted to continue the contractual
<br />relationship with GRWCAC.
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<br /> Throughout this activity, the Board of Directors and staff
<br />of GRWCAC remained commi4ted to the concept of a
<br />multi-county linkage. It was decided to pursue the option
<br />again with Goodhue County.
<br /> Wabasha County HRA Commissioners were in full
<br />agreement with this movement and instructed Joseph
<br />Wheeler, Acting Executive Director, to contact all of the
<br />incorporated towns in Goodhue Connty in an effort to
<br />gauge interest. Once again, initial reaction was very
<br />encouraging. A public hearing was held May 5, 1981 and at
<br />that hearing the Goodhue County Commissioner adopted a
<br />resolution of total and unconditional support for a
<br />formalized linkage with the Wabasha County HRA.
<br /> .,%t ic;n~: last and duc to thcc,,o,-~- "'a ora great m:~ny .Peoplc
<br />th,.- Southe~stcrn Minnesota }JRA has b~com~.: a reality.
<br />iz'~,=-.e~}2', O,,od_h=e Cour. ty is i~ ¢rocess o£ establi:-:hing its
<br />HRA Board and the first meeting of eastern Minnesota
<br />HRA will take place in August.
<br /> GRWCAC, Housing Authority Officials and all those
<br />invoh,ed with these developments are extremely excited and
<br />optimistic regarding the future of the Southeastern
<br />Minnesota Housing Authority. In an era of diminishing
<br />resources, the notion of two or three counties banding
<br />together to work in concert toward meeting local housing
<br />needs is particularly~efficient, effective, significant and
<br />ultimately, noteworthy,.
<br /> For additional information concerning this multi-county
<br />HRA project, contact' Michael Gerber, GRWCAC, Inc.,
<br />P.O. Box 157, Zumbrota, MN 55992 (507/732-7391).
<br />
<br />Minnesota's Business
<br />Climate Ranked 37th
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<br /> Minnesota's 1980 business climate was rated 37th
<br />among the 48 contiguous states, according to a recently
<br />updated study by Alexander Grant & Company of
<br />Chicago that was prepared in cooperation with the
<br />Conference of State Manufacturers' Associations
<br />(COSMA). William Barrett, Executive Director of the
<br />North Mississippi Industrial Development Association,
<br />cited the study in his presentation on "Marketing the
<br />Community--Targeting Your Efforts" at the Minnesota
<br />Star Cities Conference held last April in St. Paul.
<br /> The study--conceding that criteria such as quality of
<br />life, attitudes of public officials toward business, and
<br />weather are difficult to measure fairly~determined the
<br />"relative attractiveness" of one state's business climate
<br />versus another's using only factors that were:
<br /> ® controllable by the actions of state and local
<br /> governments
<br /> · quantifiable and credible
<br /> · obtainable from published information
<br /> · available for all states
<br /> Critics of the study argue that some of the factors which
<br />were construed as positive for business are actually
<br />negative from an environmental or social standpoint.
<br /> For a copy of the full report, entitled "A Study of
<br />Manufacturing Business Climates of the Forty-eight
<br />Contiguous States of America, 1980,' contact Alexander
<br />Grant & Company, Prudential Plaza, Chicago, Illinois
<br />60601.
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