Duluth $1.6 million dollars housing project for the homeless

The Duluth city council is expected to vote to approve a multi-million dollar housing project for the homeless.

The city says they have dedicated about $1.6 million dollars towards the project that will be located in the Duluth heights neighborhood on Palm Street and Robin Avenue. They say the money was allocated from the America rescue plan funds.

It is a ten-year development agreement between the Duluth Economic Development Authority and Plover Place LLC. It will contain 24 single person units, completely rent-free with common spaces, like a kitchen, patio and lounge.

I spoke to one of the city council members, Mike Mayou who is the councilor of the second council district on why this project is important.  

‘’We have 1300 people that are on the waitlist for housing in the Northland right now and in the last year of the warming center being open. And we haven’t gotten the current tallies for this year yet. Since it isn’t completed but there are over 550 people that checked in, individuals that were experiencing homelessness in the Northland. So it really shows the need for this, especially right now in the community.’’

He also stated that this is about helping people get back on their feet as all necessary support will be given to the residents.

‘’from my understanding as well, we will help integrate them with the surrounding communities so this isn’t just putting someone in the middle of a foreign area of the city and saying, hey, this is where you’re living now, but it’s really building them within the neighborhood and making sure that the neighborhood supports them and they can support the neighborhood as well.”

Apart from this project One Roof Housing, the developer of Plover Place can help first-time homebuyers with mortgage loans at lower rates.