Cloquet Affordable Housing Development Opens It’s Doors

About half of the development is already occupied.

CLOQUET, Minn. – A new housing development in Cloquet has finally opened its doors.

White pines apartments began construction more than a year ago to help address a need for several affordable housing units in Cloquet.

Finding affordable housing has become a big topic of concern for many people in the in Cloquet and across the Northland but opening

This new housing development may be a step closer to making affordable housing available for those who need it most.

The 35 unit building includes one to three bedroom apartments.

Each unit comes with a full kitchen as well as washer and dryer.

There is also a community room for residents to gather.

a study done in 2014 determined there was a need for about two hundred fifty affordable housing units in Cloquet.

Although the need has not been met yet the executive director for the cloquet housing authority says this is a major step.

“This is just a small piece of what we’ll be developed here to help meet that need. That laid the ground work or the foundation for the housing authority to step forward and say hey lets be a part of making things happen.” said Cloquet Housing and Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Debra Shaff.

The Commissioner for Minnesota housing department says its important to use studies to find the greatest need.

“If you think about it we all want housing we can afford nobody wants to line in un-affordable housing,” said Commissioner Jennfer Ho. “Its really important to do the work based on the data. if you take a look at the rising price of housing is attributed to not enough units and not enough units to not really targeted at the income.

.More than five units are also reserved for people with a disability or have suffered homelessness thanks to supportive services from the Cloquet HRA.

The building is income based.

The minimum income to qualify for one bedroom is about $14,000 a year, but can not exceed more than $30,000.

About half of the units at white pine apartments are already occupied.