Herreid Area Housing Development (HAHD) Project 

Herreid, South Dakota

Feature written in September 2020

FHLB Des Moines Members: Campbell County Bank

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.