Brainerd HRA

10/06/2026

🏗️ Building Housing. Strengthening Communities. Growing Our Tax Base.

Did you know the Crow Wing County Housing Trust Fund (HTF) offers New Development and Redevelopment Financing to help create new housing opportunities throughout Crow Wing County?

Many housing projects struggle because there is a financing "gap" between what a bank can lend and the total cost of development. The HTF helps fill that gap by providing flexible financing that allows projects to move forward while maintaining affordability requirements.

✅ Supports new housing construction and redevelopment projects
✅ Helps create workforce and affordable housing opportunities
✅ Leverages private investment and primary lender financing
✅ Encourages long-term affordability commitments
✅ Strengthens local communities and economic growth

Why does this matter to county residents?

When new housing is built, local employers have more opportunities to attract and retain workers. Families have more housing choices. Vacant or underutilized properties can be transformed into productive developments. As new housing is added, property values and taxable improvements increase, helping expand the local tax base and support public services. At the same time, housing development creates construction jobs and generates economic activity that benefits local businesses.

The Housing Trust Fund is not simply an expense. It is an investment that helps attract millions of dollars in additional public and private development funding while creating housing assets that serve Crow Wing County for decades. Recent program guidelines require participating developments to maintain affordable housing commitments, ensuring long-term community benefit.

📍 Whether it's a new apartment community, workforce housing development, or redevelopment of an underutilized site, the Crow Wing County Housing Trust Fund is helping create housing solutions that support residents, employers, and the future of our communities.

Learn more about Crow Wing County HRA programs and how housing investments are making a difference across the county.

10/05/2026

🏗️🎉 Groundbreaking for The Lofts of Pequot Lakes! 🎉🏗️

Exciting progress is underway as Corner Lot Development has officially broken ground on The Lofts of Pequot Lakes, a new housing development that will help expand housing opportunities in our region. This project represents an important investment in the future of Pequot Lakes and Crow Wing County by increasing the availability of quality housing for residents.

Housing development plays a vital role in supporting local employers, strengthening communities, and providing more options for individuals and families seeking a place to call home. We are excited to see this project move from planning to construction and look forward to following its progress.

Congratulations to Corner Lot Development and all the partners involved in bringing this project to life!

📍 Pequot Lakes, Minnesota



For those interested in learning more about the project, Corner Lot's announcement can be found here: View the Groundbreaking Announcement

The roughly $16 million development will bring one- and two-bedroom homes to a market where jobs are growing faster than housing.

10/05/2026

🚌 Getting Around Baxter Just Got More Affordable!
Baxter fares now match Brainerd fares, making it more affordable to use Brainerd & Crow Wing Public Transit!
📍 Trips originating in Baxter:
➡️ Advance-booked trip: $3.00 (formerly $7.00)
➡️ Same-day trip: $5.00 (formerly $11.00)

Whether you're heading to work, an appointment, shopping, visiting friends and family, or just need a ride around town — we're here for you!
Our service is open to everyone and provides convenient, curb-to-curb transportation.

To schedule a ride or for more information:
📞218-825-7433
📧 [email protected]
🌐 brainerdmn.gov/195/Transit
📱 Brainerd Dial A Ride app
💻 brainerdmn.gov/655/Spare-Rider-App-and-Web-Portal
Lower fares. Same great service. Give us a try! 🚌

09/29/2026

How the Crow Wing County Housing Trust Fund Creates Housing Opportunities
🏗️ A project needs financing
Developers often face a funding gap between construction costs and what traditional lenders can provide.
💰 HTF provides gap financing
The Crow Wing County Housing Trust Fund helps bridge that gap, allowing quality housing projects to move forward. The program supports new development and redevelopment while leveraging private investment.
🏘️ New housing is created
Workforce and affordable housing opportunities are added throughout Crow Wing County, helping serve local families, workers, seniors, and employers.
📈 Tax base grows
New construction and redevelopment add taxable value to properties, strengthening the county's tax base.
🤝 Communities benefit
More housing supports local businesses, attracts workers, encourages economic growth, revitalizes underutilized properties, and helps build stronger communities for everyone.
Crow Wing County Housing Trust Fund
Investing local dollars to leverage larger investments, expand housing opportunities, and create lasting community value.

09/28/2026

🏠 Investing in Brainerd’s Future, One Home and Neighborhood at a Time!

For 60 years, the Brainerd HRA has been dedicated to strengthening our community, supporting local homeowners, and expanding safe, affordable housing options. Whether it’s through owner-occupied rehabilitation loans, energy efficiency upgrades, or community development projects, we are here to help local families thrive.

Watch the video above to see how our programs make a lasting impact right here in Brainerd!

https://youtu.be/r44_G4x6uuE?si=AEwuNLBoOMjmw8v1

💡 Want to learn more or see if you qualify for our rehabilitation programs?

Call Us: 218-824-3438

Email: [email protected]

Visit: Brainerd HRA page

This is video 12 of 12 in the Fair Housing Video Series for the Dea...

09/22/2026

09/22/2026

🏠 Why the Crow Wing County Housing Trust Fund Matters to Every Taxpayer 🏠

A question we often hear is:

"Why should my tax dollars go toward housing programs?"

The answer is simple: because housing is economic development, and these programs help grow our county's tax base while strengthening our communities.

The Crow Wing County Housing Trust Fund is not a handout program. It is a revolving investment fund that provides low-interest loans and financing for projects that help meet local housing needs. These investments help create and preserve housing opportunities for working families, seniors, young professionals, and local residents who want to put down roots in Crow Wing County. The program supports down payment assistance, home rehabilitation, rental rehabilitation, workforce housing, and new housing development.

✅ Helping Families Become Homeowners

Down payment assistance helps working households purchase homes in Crow Wing County. Homeownership creates more stable neighborhoods, encourages long-term investment in the community, and helps residents build wealth while contributing property taxes for years to come. The Housing Trust Fund provides assistance to qualifying households purchasing homes within Crow Wing County, helping make homeownership attainable for local workers and families.

✅ Protecting Existing Housing

Rehabilitation programs help homeowners and landlords repair and preserve existing housing stock. When homes deteriorate, property values decline and communities suffer. By investing in repairs and improvements today, we help maintain property values, protect neighborhoods, extend the useful life of existing housing, and keep homes on the tax rolls.

✅ Supporting New Housing Development

New housing developments add new taxable property to the county. Every new home, apartment building, or redevelopment project increases the overall tax base. As the tax base grows, the cost of providing county services is spread across more properties, helping distribute the tax burden more broadly.

✅ Strengthening Our Workforce

Employers across Crow Wing County consistently identify housing availability as one of their biggest challenges. When workers cannot find homes they can afford, businesses struggle to recruit and retain employees. Housing investments support local employers, strengthen the workforce, and help businesses continue growing. More housing means local employers can attract and retain the workers needed to keep our economy moving forward.

✅ Loans That Recycle Back Into the Community

Unlike many programs where money is spent once and gone, many Housing Trust Fund investments are loans. As borrowers repay those loans, the money returns to the fund and is used to help additional housing projects. That means one investment can benefit multiple families and developments over time.

The Housing Trust Fund was intentionally created as a permanent and continually renewable source of funding. Loan repayments replenish the fund so resources can be reinvested into future housing projects throughout Crow Wing County.

✅ Building a Stronger Tax Base for Everyone

When new homes are built, vacant or underutilized properties are redeveloped, and existing housing is improved, property values increase and new taxable value is added to the county. As more properties contribute to the tax base, the cost of roads, public safety, county services, and local government is shared across more taxpayers.

Simply put, more housing means more taxpayers helping support community services, which helps distribute the overall tax burden more broadly across the county.

📈 The Bottom Line

When we help create housing, preserve housing, and encourage redevelopment, we are investing in the future of Crow Wing County. More housing means more residents, more workers, more economic activity, stronger property values, and a larger tax base.

The Housing Trust Fund is not just about housing. It is about economic growth, community vitality, and ensuring that Crow Wing County remains a place where people can live, work, raise families, and retire.

Housing is infrastructure. Housing is economic development. Housing is an investment in Crow Wing County's future.

09/22/2026

09/22/2026

The Crow Wing County Board of Commissioners have a County Board meeting at 9:00 AM on Tuesday, September 22nd. You can watch live on our youtube channel.
www.youtube.com/channel/UC26vWNxmHm1RfoJIlj7XHCQ