HOUSING SUCESS STORIES: CITY OF NORFOLK, NEBRASKA
March 18, 2021
MARCH 2021 WEBINAR
Gary Bretschneider, the Executive Director of the City of Norfolk Housing Agency, and Tom Higginbotham, the Executive Director of the Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District, shared about their journey with infill revitalization. They discussed that every town has those houses that are condemned, dangerous, and an eye-sore for the community. Bretschneider and Higginbotham shared multiple success stories of the process to tear down and clean up properties for new housing construction.
The 80th HomeNE Learning Network featured Jean Van Iperen, who discussed Columbus, Nebraska’s housing challenges and the city’s proactive strategies to address them. Jean highlighted the city’s 7% population growth and a shortage over 4 years of 387 homes, prompting efforts like zoning reform, streamlined permitting, and investment in new developments, including a 238-unit apartment complex. The city is also planning a new housing study, exploring affordable housing options, and considering mixed-use projects to meet evolving community needs. Participants were encouraged to revisit past webinars for insights and to attend the upcoming session on June 19th featuring Michelle Cole. The session emphasized the value of small takeaways from presentations and invited community members to share their stories for future webinars.
What comes after a successful housing project? Megan Weaver of Wakefield Progressive joins us to talk through the "after". Wakefield has had a number of successful housing initiatives over the past 12 years, but what is next? Megan is asking the question in hopes that the HomeNE Learning Network can give her a hand.
Dana Village in Blair, Nebraska is a unique project that shows how one man can change the world. Through a need to rid the Omaha area of homelessness, Ed Shada embarked on a journey to start Dana Village. Learn how one man is making a difference in Eastern Nebraska, assisting kids ageing out of the foster care system to get on their feet and find a path that works for them.
