Nearly 360 new housing units, 85 rehabbed housing units constructed in 2024

By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

County commissioners, on Tuesday morning, March 11, heard good news about county efforts to assist communities and rural areas in Otter Tail County with housing, day care initiatives and broadband (internet).

Providing the annual report was Amy Baldwin, Otter Tail County’s community development director.

“The need to expand housing opportunities is critical in addressing the county’s workforce needs,” Baldwin said. “Our county government’s growth and investment initiative showed good progress in 2024 to increase construction of new housing units, build partnerships and seek funding opportunities.”

New housing units last year, as reported by the county’s Community Development Agency (CDA), totaled 358 along with 85 rehabbed housing units. Housing investment totaled $94.2 million.

Three major housing projects took place in Battle Lake, Pelican Rapids and Dalton, southeast of Fergus Falls. 

Construction in Battle Lake includes a 10-unit workforce housing apartment building. In Pelican Rapids, infrastructure installation is complete for a nine-lot subdivision with lots listed for sale. In Dalton, construction was completed for six affordable senior rental housing units that are owned and operated by the Otter Tail County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA).

“We will continue to advocate for increased funding and support of housing,” said Baldwin to county commissioners.

A public housing program includes 3-bedroom and 4-bedroom single-family and duplex units located in Pelican Rapids, Underwood, Henning and New York Mills.

Otter Tail County also has a housing choice voucher program in partnership between the HRA and residential property owners. The purpose is to provide rental assistance to eligible households to lease existing rental units.

Child care assistance

Otter Tail County recognizes that access to quality and affordable child care is needed for people who live and work in this area of west central Minnesota.

“Child care, in addition to keeping children safe and providing quality early childhood experiences, also is part of economic development,” Baldwin said. “Our county uses a child care strategy to promote available resources, support the growth of child care capacity and create partnerships to improve access and availability.”

Baldwin said that, in 2024, there were 122 total family child care providers and 11 new licensures. Although there were 16 closures at year’s end, grant programs were available to grow child care capacity in Parkers Prairie and in the town of Ottertail.

County government also delivered more than 650 hours of technical support to child care providers and community partners. Supplies were distributed to new and existing family child care providers in Otter Tail County.

Broadband assistance

Access to high-quality internet is needed by families and businesses to work, learn and connect. In 2024, Otter Tail County made progress to provide access to residents in areas of the county that did not yet have availability of high-quality broadband.

“We addressed the digital divide that presents barriers to accessing service and technology,” Baldwin said.

To that end, Otter Tail County provided a $387,000 match from the county and $237,500 from local townships to support area provider, Park Region, in securing Minnesota border-to-border low-density program grant funding. The funded project will serve 286 previously unserved locations with a total investment of $4.9 million. 

Otter Tail County ranks 40 out of 87 counties in Minnesota for broadband access. This ranking is up 16 places from the previous year’s ranking.

“This makes Otter Tail the fifth most improved county in the state,” Baldwin said. “Close to 88 percent of our county is served with broadband speeds of 100 megabits per second (mbps) upload and 20 mgbs download.”