The Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) in Northfield, Minn. intends to purchase and demolish five pre-HUD Code homes in Florella’s Park that have been abandoned for many years, and will also begin the same process for six additional homes. The HRA had to appear in court with the manager of Florella to obtain the titles of the homes from the owner who died some 20 years ago. After the units are listed in public media for 30 days, the HRA will buy the homes for $500 to $2,000 each, and then pay $4,500 to demolish each one, including land maintenance for each site. The funding will come from the Community Development Block Grant program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, through the Dakota County Community Development Agency. The sites will be prepared so the community owner can bring in new homes subject to updated codes and standards, as MHProNews has learned from southernminn.com.

(Photo credit: Kaitlyn Walsh/northfieldnews–abandoned MH in Florelle’s Park)