Cook County forum to focus on solutions to local housing crunch

The Cook County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) is hosting a housing summit tonight (Sept. 8) as community members, invested organizations, developers, and others continue to navigate the complexities of the local housing crunch.

The housing summit will take place in the commissioners’ room inside the Cook County Courthouse in Grand Marais. The summit is from 6-8 p.m. It is open to the public. People can attend in person or via Zoom.

Jason Hale is the director of the HRA. He said during a Sept. 8 interview on WTIP that a key reason for the summit is to provide a baseline and foundation for the housing situation in Cook County.

“The purpose is really to provide a baseline and foundation for the housing situation in Cook County,” Hale said.

Hale’s first day as the HRA director in Cook County was April 25. Since that time, he said he’s become familiar with the challenges to the local housing crunch and why it exists. Among the reasons, Hale said, are an abundance of state and federal land in the county, zoning ordinances, high demand for seasonal cabins/second homes, and a tourism based economy with seasonal jobs.

In addition to Hale, among those presenting and sharing information at the housing summit are local developer Chris Skildum and officials from One Roof Housing.

Listen to the audio below to hear the full interview with Hale speaking with WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs.

Joe Friedrichs September 8, 2022