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Construction
Page 4 Electronic Edition: www.teachingtodaymn.com

Blending Trades Training and Affordable Housing

nonprofits, Habitat for Humanity affiliates, with Habitat for Humanity of South
and technical colleges. Central Minnesota
Licensed instructors and experienced • Kenyon-Wanamingo Schools – $61,690
nonprofit partners will provide oversight, – Advancing student–led homebuilding
tools, and support throughout the process. in partnership with Goodhue County
Projects will serve households earning at Habitat for Humanity
or below 80-115% of area median income • Lac qui Parle Valley School District
(AMI), with all homes located in designated – $99,999 – Launching a home
workforce housing communities. rehabilitation project with support
“These are viable career pathways and my from Southwest Minnesota Housing
goal here is to provide real-world, hands-on Partnership
experiences where our students can learn a
variety of skills to be successful in a career in This funding opportunity was made
construction or at least knowing things about possible by 2024 legislation expanding the
homeownership and maintenance,” said Tony eligible uses of the Economic Development
Hommes, Construction Trades Instructor at and Housing Challenge (EDHC) program
ISD 31. to include grants for school districts, charter
Awarded districts include: schools and certain cooperative units.
• Bemidji Area Schools – $99,750 Funding recommendations were approved by
Minnesota Housing’s board on May 22, 2025.
– In partnership with Headwaters Grant contracts are expected to be finalized by
Housing Development Corporation and August, with construction taking place during
Northwest Technical College
Funds for Schools. This initiative combines the 2025–2026 school year.
Minnesota Housing Awards $560K to • Goodhue Public Schools – $99,030 –
hands-on learning in construction trades with Future funding for similar school-led
School-Led Projects efforts to address local housing needs. Collaborating with Goodhue County projects will be available through the 2025
Minnesota Housing has awarded more The selected projects, in Beltrami, Habitat for Humanity Single Family Request for Proposals, now
than $560,000 to six school-led housing Goodhue, Sherburne, Wright, Nicollet, Lac • ISD 728 Elk River – $99,999 – open on the Minnesota Housing website:
projects that will create or preserve affordable qui Parle, Swift and Chippewa counties, will Partnering with Central Minnesota https://www.mnhousing.gov/index.html
homeownership opportunities across Greater result in the construction or rehabilitation of Habitat for Humanity
Minnesota. The grants are part of a newly single-family homes. All six initiatives are • Saint Peter Public Schools – $99,999 –
created program named Housing Challenge led by school districts partnering with local Continuing a long–standing partnership

A Tradition of Building Homes

for Over 30 Years: Bemidji High

School’s Construction Program
Project Build Minnesota, a 501c3 nonprofit, is
on a mission to bringing Minnesota’s young
people into construction careers and to make
those careers the first choice for hard-
working youth.

WHAT WE PROVIDE:

JOB BOARD
RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS
ANNUAL TEACHER’S CONFERENCE
CONNECTIONS TO INDUSTRY LEADERS

Bemidji Area Schools, District 31 project through a unique partnership that
For more than three decades, students began over 30 years ago between BHS and
from Bemidji High School (BHS) have been the Headwaters Regional Development
doing more than learning from textbooks— Commission (HRDC).
they’ve been building homes. Measuring in Each year, nearly 200 students engage
at 1,834 square feet, the most recent student- in different phases of the construction projectbuildmn.org
built home features four bedrooms and two info@projectbuildmn.org
bathrooms. It marks another successful 651-432-4395
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