Both the Executive Summary of the Morris Housing Study (pdf), as well as the Final Morris Housing Study (pdf) that were complied by Scott Knudson and Steve Griesert of Community Partners Research, Inc. are now available online!
The City of Morris had no housing study compiled for the community. This is an ongoing problem for the city. For example, when applications for housing construction or rehabilitation are prepared for funding sources, there is no study of existing conditions to describe the community need. If an agency is looking to attract housing rehabilitation dollars, it does not have a readily available documentation of need. Additionally, when existing structures become available, such as the old Morris Elementary School, development officials look to a housing study to see if conversion to rental units is appropriate; however, no study exists.
The COPC grant has allowed UMM faculty, with the help of UMM students, to develop three research projects to help quantify and identify the housing situation in Morris. Dr. Greg Thorson will lead research on Strategies to Combat Homelessness and Provide Affordable Housing, Dr. Arne Kildegaard will research Student Housing Choices in the Morris Community, and Dr. Bart Finzel will research Housing Costs and Employment in Industry Sectors.
Other projects within the Morris Housing Initiative Project Area include the development of GIS mapping for Morris, exploring cooperative housing possibilities for the area, supporting dialogue about rental housing options and concerns, and creating a Morris Area Habitat for Humanity chapter.