By MARY POLETTI Herald-Whig Staff Writer CANTON, Mo. -- Public officials and housing development specialistsfloated ideas for fulfilling the American dream at Thursday'sTri-State Housing Summit. The daylong conference, held at Culver-Stockton College andorganized by the North East Community Action Corp., showcased thework of the Tri-State Development Summit's standing Housing TaskForce to find paths to homeownership as a component of workforceand community development. "What we're really trying to do is make a quality of life forpeople," Missouri Rep. Paul Quinn, D-Monroe City, said during alegislative panel. Speakers from throughout the region shared innovative ideas foraffordable housing development and financing, as well as how itfigures into workforce development. Officials from Quincy, Ill., shared a case study of how housingdevelopment in that city has figured into neighborhoodstabilization efforts on the city's low-income northwest side. Through a federally funded housing initiative, Quincy is renovatingfour single-family homes and two duplexes to lease to the YWCA, aswell as building four housing units for the West-Central IllinoisCenter for Independent Living, Mayor John Spring said. An injection of state funding in the city's fix-or-flatten programhas paid for the rehabilitation of numerous homes in the sameneighborhood, Spring said. At the same time, Crider Construction, a Quincy contractor involvedwith the housing initiative, has taken that opportunity to createan intensive training program for construction workers, companyPresident Stefan Crider said. Crider said all the investment in housing stock on the northwestside has inspired other homeowners in the neighborhood to pay moreattention to their properties. "People work on their houses, and yards start getting cleaned up,"Crider said. "It really creates a buzz throughout theneighborhood." Nadia Anderson, an architecture professor and Extension specialistat Iowa State University, underscored the need for urban in-fill inhousing development -- that is, focusing efforts on existinghousing stock in built-up neighborhoods -- as a way of gettingpeople closer to conveniences. In a presentation on the Bridge Studio, a university initiativethat puts architecture students to work on housing developmentprojects, Anderson said much attention has been given toaffordability, suitability and livability. Those have expanded togeneral economic development concepts. The legislative panel likewise touched on the importance of housingdevelopment in overall economic development. "Jobs (are) No. 1, and that's one thing we all need to focus on,"said MIssouri Sen. Brian Munzlinger, R-Williamstown. Jobs help Missourians afford the dream of homeownership, Munzlingersaid. He cited his legislative work on banking regulations, theimportance of agricultural jobs and the need to preserve low-incomehousing tax credits as important factors in homeownership. Conversely, officials said providing affordable housing is animportant ingredient in attracting employers, creating a robustworkforce and boosting economic development. "I've lived in Lewis County my entire life, and I've seen firsthandthe effect of substandard housing in a community," Canton MayorJarrod Phillips said. Other speakers throughout the day touched on trends in housingdemand and affordability, along with funding opportunities foraffordable housing. -- mpoletti@whig.com/221-3385. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as China 7 Segment LED Display , LED Downlight Lamps Manufacturer, and more. For more , please visit T5 LED Tube Light today!
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