At A Glance
Location: Herreid, South Dakota
FHLB Des Moines Member: Campbell County Bank
The Impact: The HAHD Project, now in its fourth year, has built or rehabilitated 27 housing units in the community, and plans to acquire future lots for its affordable housing mission. Project leaders work to provide safe, sustainable housing for vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly and low-income.
The Need: A housing study completed in 2016 for Campbell County, South Dakota showed a statistically significant housing shortage; with growing or steady workforce opportunities in the area, local leaders also saw anecdotal evidence to corroborate the findings. Oil pipeline and wind turbine workers and their families wished to reside permanently in Herreid, yet there wasn’t enough suitable housing to offer them.
The Results: Initially started as a group of 28 residents, the HAHD Project has grown to include an active board, investors and community advocates who are serving as a regional model for other economic development and housing organizations.
The Key Players: Campbell County Bank, City of Herreid Economic Development, South Dakota Community Foundation, Campbell County Economic Development, Homes are Possible, Inc., South Dakota Housing Development Authority
The Full Story
The town of Herreid in Campbell County, South Dakota was facing a critical affordable housing shortage that, along with having short-term impacts, local leaders anticipated would compound further over time.
While local industries were either growing or holding steady, particularly oil and wind turbine production, workers were not able to find appropriate housing in the town. Many of these workers had families, and the school district of Herreid was faced with the prospect of possibly closing its doors if the population continued to decline. This anecdotal evidence of a housing shortage was corroborated by an official study completed by a study completed by the University of Minnesota in 2016, whish showed a statistically significant shortage of affordable housing in the area.
A group of passionate residents led by Dean Schwartz, Campbell County Bank President, came together to form The Herreid Area Housing Development (HAHD) Project. The team included 28 community members who contributed to the project’s seed money, as well as seven board members to oversee operations.
In partnership with several local governing groups, including the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the South Dakota Housing Development Authority, HAHD has built or enhanced 27 total housing unites to date. The team is planning on future lot acquisition to allow more family unites to be added to the community within the very near future.
In addition to much-needed affordable housing, many quality of life projects have sprung up due to the leadership exhibited by HAHD. Some examples include an upgrade to the local playground area and equipment, the Herreid Sports Complex Project was enhanced to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the local grocery market was purchased, refurbished and volunteers help with its operation.