MIDC addresses housing issues for manufacturing firms’ personnel

Affordable housing has been a challenge for local industry’s employee recruitment for a long time.

A recent housing study reinforced this fact that Nodaway County manufacturers had known for years. The information of the study was brought to the Maryville Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) leadership. They began to further investigate the type of housing, suitable location and the payment cost which manufacturers’ employees can afford. Then an action plan was developed.

MIDC’s plan was to purchase two lots, one in Maryville and one in Hopkins this year. That has come to reality. The group will place manufactured homes from LoveJoy in St. Joseph, on concrete slabs and offer them for sale to local manufacturing employees first, giving them the benefit of a 60-day hold. They are expected to be completed this spring in April or May. A list of potential buyers is being compiled currently. Then if no employee of a Nodaway County manufacturing plant is interested, the home will be put on the general real estate market.

If these two sell quickly MDIC plans to replicate this process again. There are building lots in other Nodaway County towns being negotiated.

MIDC has budgeted $400,000 for the purchase and construction of two homes with the hope to keep the price under $200,000 for a roughly 1,500 square foot home that is a three-bedroom, two bathroom type.

Interested persons should contact MIDC’s representative, Josh McKim, Nodaway County Economic Development director at developer@nodaway.biz.