Hamilton Habitat plans “village” development, completes its first house of the year
Most construction projects pause for the winter, but one organization committed to building affordable housing for Cook County residents has been hard at work through the cold months. Hamilton Habitat Project Director Anna Hamilton told WTIP that the new year brought the final touches to one house, and the organization plans to complete two more before the end of construction season, all while making plans for the organization’s biggest project to date.
In addition to the houses currently planned for this year, Hamilton will spend 2026 planning for a much larger project. Cook County recently deeded a parcel of land to Hamilton Habitat for a project Hamilton described as “the village.” The property, located at the corner of the Gunflint Trail and 4th Ave, north of the Cook County Community Center, is a five-acre mix of wetland and wooded areas. Hamilton said that about half of the property is considered “unbuildable” because of the wetland, but that on the remaining acreage, she hopes to create a community of six or seven homeowners.
Hamilton said that planning this project is complex. It will include designing some shared resources, like a shared road, and arranging utility hookups for all of the houses. She added that based on consultations with an engineering company, the process could take some time and will likely be expensive. Hamilton said that the organization will apply for grants to assist with the project in order to keep the costs that are passed on to homeowners as low as possible. If additional funding does not come through, however, she said she would end up deeding it back to the county.
As Hamilton Habitat pursues outside funding to help with this large project, Hamilton said that they have been lucky to receive strong community support. This has included contributions from both local thrift stores in Grand Marais, where volunteers donate their “wages” to local non-profit and charity organizations. Hamilton Habitat received $15,000 from Oddz and Endz, and over $21,487 from First & Second. “It’s unbelievable,” Hamilton said. “It’s crazy how wonderful that is. Both those entities.”
While Hamilton moves forward with planning on the village project, the organization’s usual work of building homes for individuals continues. Hamilton Habitat is on track to finish three houses this year, and one has already been completed.
Last year Hamilton Habitat navigated significant cost barriers of their own to get utilities connected for two houses they were building across from the Homestead Cooperative. Hamilton said that, all told, the utility infrastructure costs for the pair of houses cost about $184,000, much of which was covered by a grant from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRR) and contributions from donors.
Despite the setback, Hamilton announced through social media in February that “Homestead South” was complete, and that work was continuing on “Homestead North.” She told WTIP that she expects closings on both homes to be done by May.
As work on the current houses wraps up, Hamilton has already lined up the next project for the organization. Hamilton Habitat acquired a plot of land from the First Congregational Church and will be building one single-family home on that parcel. She said she expects that house to be finished by the fall.
WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Hamilton Habitat Project Director Anna Hamilton about the organization’s plan for 2026 and beyond. Audio of that interview is below.
Kirsten Wisniewski March 5, 2026
