Many households purchase used mobile homes and, because land is relatively inexpensive, place the homes on land that they own. This has been cited as a critical issue in Lake of the Woods County, and a major reason for the ineffectiveness of MHFA mortgage programs in this area. The Community Rehabilitation Loan Program should remain a flexible tool that can be used by communities to respond creatively to local needs and to realize the potential of opportunities that may be present. Housing production, rehabilitation and blight removal can all be important components of local projects. Blight removal is often a critical component to create the investment climate necessary for production or rehabilitation to make economic sense.
Partnerships can often make a project more efficient and effective.
Partnerships between community organizations and high school or technical college carpentry classes have been particularly effective in the production of quality affordable housing.