Anna Hamilton talks building affordable housing in the coming years

Kirsten Wisniewski | January 10, 2025

Through their nonprofit, Hamilton Habitat, Anna Hamilton and her sister Sarah, have been working to help Grand Marais residents buy houses.

The organization builds houses and sells them to individuals at cost. Anna Hamilton told WTIP that Hamilton Habitat’s mission is simple, “We build affordable housing for the working person of Cook County, specifically Grand Marais.” The homes are funded by donations to Hamilton Habitat, and materials are provided at cost by the Cook County Home Center.

Hamilton said that, including two houses that they are finishing construction on this winter, her organization has built nine homes since they began in 2019. Over the next few years they hope to nearly double that. Two more houses are planned for later in 2025, and Hamilton Habitat is currently working with Cook County and the Cook County Housing Redevelopment Authority to acquire a parcel that would allow for an additional 6 homes.

The Homestead lots

Hamilton explained that the houses currently under construction were originally planned for last year on two lots across the street from the Homestead Cooperative on 11th Ave W. She said that the infrastructure costs for those lots proved to be prohibitive. While it meant a delay for the project, they were able to adjust the plan, and build the pair of houses nearby. Those houses are going up across the street from two other Hamilton Habitat builds that were finished in February of 2024.

Though the initial plan changed, Hamilton still intends to use the Homestead lots. Hamilton Habitat applied for funds from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRR) to help offset the infrastructure costs. Hamilton said that getting the funding is vital for the project. She said, “If we had to do the water and sewer, it’s anywhere between $120,000 and $200,000, and I would have to put that into the homes, and then they’re not affordable before I even build.”

If Hamilton Habitat is granted IRRR funds, they plan to build on those lots in 2025. Cook County has previously received support from the IRRR for housing projects.

Homes planned for 2026

Despite having two houses currently under construction, and another two in the early planning stages, Hamilton is already looking to an even larger project for 2026. Over the past several weeks, Hamilton has been working with the HRA and Cook County to acquire a parcel of land on the corner of the Gunflint Trail and Chreechville Road, which is currently owned by the county. If that plan goes through, Hamilton hopes to build six houses on that land.

Each house would be individually owned, and Hamilton was clear that, while the houses would neighbor each other and share a road, they would be completely separate. She said that the infrastructure costs for that plot would also likely be high, but that she intends to apply for additional IRRR funds in the future to help offset those costs.

“The village” project, as Hamilton described it, would be Hamilton Habitat’s largest project to date. Hamilton said that there is some efficiency that comes with building several houses in one area. When it comes to things like bringing in an electrician, she anticipates that the process will be more efficient if the work can be done for each house one right after another. “We can do a lot, and we can do it faster, and it’s going to be great,” Hamilton said, “I’m really excited about that, just because there’s certain people on the list that have been on the list a long time, and I really want to be able to check them off.”

WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Anna Hamilton about Hamilton Habitat’s plans for the next two years. Audio of that interview is below.