Different towns, different tactics for tackling housing shortage

McCOOK, Neb. -- When it comes to the need for housing, McCook is not alone. Communities throughout the wide plains of western Nebraska are facing a similar challenge, and -- it's encouraging to report -- several are finding success.

Sidney sets the pace

Take Sidney, for example. The far western Nebraska town -- which has many similarities to McCook -- is on a roll, with a new 72-unit apartment complex already completed and a massive residential development in the works.

The most dramatic part of the Sidney story is the involvement of Cabela's, the multi-billion dollar hunting, fishing and outdoor company which is headquartered in Sidney. In anticipation of the company's and community's growth, Cabela's has purchased a 425-acre piece of property on the east edge of Sidney with the express intent of opening the area for housing development.

With the vast land purchase, Cabela's and Sidney is looking far into the future, as the spacious area has enough room for 750 single family homes. That's over and above a 70-acre open space which will be maintained along Lodgepole Creek in the heart of the housing development.

"Housing development will begin in the fall," said Tina Hochwender, the director of economic development for Cheyenne County. The homes are needed because Sidney is growing steadily due to Cabela's success and a series of other developments, including a new Love's truck stop and two new Sidney hotels: a Fairfield Mariott and a Holiday Inn Express.

"The 72-unit apartment complex opened in July of 2014 and is close to capacity," Hochwender said. Only a few three-bedroom units remain available. Rental rates range from $790 per month for a one-bedroom unit to $1,300 per month for a three-bedroom apartment.

Even more apartments will be available in Sidney in the near future. Plans are in place for a 12-unit development, to be known as Grassland Apartments. Taking advantage of a grant from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Sidney is developing eight apartment units which will be rented at open market rates, plus four units which will be income restricted. To rent those units, individuals or families must have incomes which are at or below 80 percent of the area's medium income level.

Cambridge lots all taken

For further evidence of housing success, you need look no further than Cambridge, where all 18 lots in the Harvest Meadows housing development are already built on, spoken for ... or sold. "The last of the lots were acquired by Burkholder Contracting of Holdrege," said Cambridge Mayor Mark Harpst. "They are planning to construct three duplexes as well as two spec homes."

The project will cap off a surge of new construction which is seldom seen in communities in the 1,000-person population category. In addition to all the new houses built and under construction, the Harvest Meadows development also features the state-of-the-art Anew Travel Center and the recently completed Cobblestone Inn & Suites.

The Harvest Meadows' project was made possible by Tax Increment Financing (TIF), with the City of Cambridge and the Cambridge Economic Development board utilizing funding from the original Cambridge ethanol plant to purchase the land and develop plans for the subdivision. An added boost came with the involvement of Nebraska Corn Products, the new ethanol plant owner. "Having a commercial anchor was a huge help," Harpst said.

"There were risks and quite a few questions at first," the mayor said, "but now there's a lot of community pride in what has ben accomplished."

Imperial moves forward

Building of spec homes and rental units is continuing in Imperial, but it is hard to keep up with the community's "incredible need for housing," says the Imperial City Administrator Jo Leyland.

"Imperial received a big boost two summers ago when Matt Thomas of Dana Point Development spearheaded the development of 10 rental units," Leyland said. In addition, Thomas, who is based in Turlock, California, addressed Imperial's housing shortage by building four spec homes.

Plans for additional construction is in the works in Imperial. With the aid of Dana Point Development, an application has been submitted for funding for five more rental units. If the money comes through, from the Affordable Housing Trust, Dana Point also has plans to develop three more spec homes, Leyland said.

With a population of more than 2,000, Imperial needs the housing units because, currently "there are less than a half dozen homes listed for sale," the city administrator said. Keeping the demand high is the strong local economy, sparked by such business enterprises as Feenchman Valley Coop, Allo Communications and Scott's Well & Pump.

Alliance looks ahead

Between now and 2019, a total of 166 new housing units are needed in Alliance.

That is the precise projection which came out a comprehensive housing study which the Alliance community completed last year with the aid of the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority, the agency more commonly known as NIFA.

The study has been a great help to charting the course for Alliance as it prepares for the future, said Chelsie Herian, the executive director of the Box Butte Development Corp. "We have set three priorities and are moving forward," she said.

At the top of the action plan are these three goals: 1. Build new apartment buildings; 2. Construct single family homes; and 3. Develop housing for the 55-and-over age group.

Alliance is still in the early stages of implementing the plans, with RFP's (Requests for Proposals) now out for five different apartment projects. Proposals are being sought from building firms throughout Nebraska, with plans in place for two 24-unit structures, two 38-unit apartment complexes and one three-unit building.

Agreement on importance

Although the communities of western Nebraska are at different places in their quest to address housing needs, they all agree on one point: In order for our communities to grow and continue to prosper, we must find ways to provide comfortable and affordable housing for our residents, whether they have lived here for many years or are just now arriving.

To some degree or another, that has always been the case. But, judging from the urgency of efforts in Sidney, Cambridge, Imperial, Alliance and McCook, the need of housing has never been more critical than it is right now.