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Housing Incentives Approved for 2005

Crookston Daily Times
Written By: Mike Christopherson, Managing Editor

January 11, 2005 - About a year after intially joining the City of Crookston and Polk County in a housing incentive program, the Crookston School Board on Monday renewed the plan for another year.

Since the district signed on to the tax abatement-based program, nine new homes that qualify for the incentives have been constructed in the district.

The program, intially started by the city in July 2002 and pitched to the county and school district last year, has been a big sucess, City Clerk/Treasurer Betty Arvidson told the board.

As of December 2004, she explained, 49 properties have qualified for the incentives for new construction. The 49th lot was just sold earlier on Monday, Arvidson added.

"They're not all built yet, but the properties have been purchased," she said.

Although it takes a while for a new home's full valuation to take effect, Arvidson said that estimates have the incentive program, since its inception, adding $6 million to the city's tax base. All the new construction is a major reason behind the very small levy increase for 2005, she added.

"Our hope was that new families with new students would be coming to Crookston and that has happened, although we don't know specific numbers," Superintendent Ralph Christofferson said. "Some are moving within town, too, which opens up an affordable home for another family."

No matter how the new families come to Crookston, he added, it "slows our loss" in enrollment.

Learn more about Crookston's Housing Incentive Program >>>