Survey Intended To Help With Housing Needs

By Gordon HopkinsThe results of a housing survey currently being conducted by the Fairbury Housing Authority, in conjunction with Southeast Nebraska Development District (SENDD), will be used for grant applications that will, hopefully, result in new construction for affordable housing in Fairbury.Twilya L’Ecuyer, Executive Director of the Fairbury Housing Authority, which operates Parkview Apartments, explained the need at a meeting of the Jefferson County Commissioners on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, “You can call it affordable housing, you can call it workforce housing, but it’s literally, for 10 years now, it’s the population that I routinely turn away and cannot house for one reason or another because our building doesn’t meet their needs, one way or another.”Housing has been a pivotal issue not just for the city or county but for the entire state.In rural counties like Jefferson, the lack of affordable housing can be an obstacle to filling open jobs, retaining existing residents and attracting new workers.L’Ecuyer said, “And it also creates a lot of pent up frustration for employers who cannot hire what they need. They can’t get them to move from other communities here because there’s not enough housing options, whether it’s rental or homebuyer.”“And the rental market in this community in this county is so tight that there’s lots of problems to solve, and mine for many years has been the just complete lack of three bedroom units in this community,” said L’Ecuyer. “I have learned over the last 10 years that, oftentimes, the person most in danger of homelessness in our community is probably somebody who’s employed but does not have any place to go live.”L’Ecuyer added, “When you look at the overall housing inventory, there’s not enough diversity in our rental stock.”The survey is being sent out in the mail and is also available online. All responses will remain anonymous. The survey can be accessed online in either English or Spanish at https://arcg.is/0TK81O0 or with the QR code pictured.

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