Congress has earmarked millions of dollars for housing development, including $3 million for the Black Hills Habitat for Humanity. With such a housing crunch in the area, one South Dakota Senator said it’s time to focus on the problem.
Tuesday night marked the yearly Rapid City Hearts for Habitat gala, a gathering of local leaders, developers, and politicians to celebrate the year that was and the year to come.
That money was advocated for by South Dakota Republican Sen. Mike Rounds.
“If it’s going to go somewhere in the state, we want the opportunity to identify the most worthy projects that are either already authorized by either the state or local community, or are a non-profit organization that comes with a really good cause,” Rounds said.
Rounds said it’s crucial for the already tight Rapid City housing market.
“In Rapid City now and in this region, the median home cost is right around $365,000 – well beyond the means of individuals with low incomes," Rounds said. "Habitat for Humanity does a great job to take care of some of those challenges, but if we can reduce the cost of setting up the roads, setting up the infrastructure, the sewer the water and so forth, it means some of the other small homes can become much more affordable for families just starting out.”
Black Hills Habitat executive director Scott Engmann said this investment could mean about 40 new homes for the Rapid City market.
“In specific, the amount that’s allocated to Habitat to build a new community in Rapid City is very exciting for us, because that money will be critical to kicking off the project,” Engmann said.
That investment is dependent upon congressional approval.