Quality of Place Activities

For Heartland Lakes Development Commission quality of place refers to building and maintaining a vibrant, livable, and attractive community in the Heartland Lakes/Hubbard County area — not just through business and economic development, but by improving housing, childcare, community infrastructure, and overall amenities so people want to live where you vacation.

List Cards

Workforce & Affordable Housing Development

Workforce & Affordable Housing Development is a key focus area for HLDC, and their activities in this area include:

  • Development and Financing: HLDC works with local governments, private developers, and housing authorities to create and finance affordable housing projects. This can involve both the construction of new affordable housing units and the renovation of existing structures to meet current standards.
  • Grant and Loan Programs: HLDC administers various state and federal housing programs that provide grants and low-interest loans to developers and nonprofit organizations. This helps fund the creation and renovation of affordable housing units.
  • Planning and Advocacy: HLDC helps communities plan for housing needs through comprehensive land use and housing development strategies. They also advocate for policy changes at the state and federal levels that can support affordable housing initiatives.
  • Collaborating with Housing Authorities: HLDC works alongside local housing authorities to increase the availability of affordable rental and homeownership options, especially for low- and moderate-income families.

Childcare

Childcare availability is a bottleneck for workforce participation.  HLDC recognizes this as a barrier to economic growth and aims to remove it by enabling childcare access.  Addressing gaps in childcare provides support for working families and acts as a positive factor in workforce recruitment and retention.

  • Rural Childcare Innovation Program (RCCIP) HLDC facilitated funding through the program that allowed a task force to identify local barriers/supports that will lead to additional opportunities to expand the number of slots in the community.
  • Unique models Integrating childcare with housing development and business support, HLDC takes a holistic approach to community growth and quality of life.  

Community Visioning

Community Visioning HLDC’s community-visioning efforts aim to:

  • Address core community needs (housing, childcare, employment) to make the region more livable and retain residents
  • Support local entrepreneurship and small businesses, fueling economic growth and diversity
  • Revitalize downtown/main-street and local infrastructure to improve quality of life and attractiveness of the region
  • Build community capacity for sustained growth — by aligning stakeholders (local government, private businesses, residents) around a shared vision
  • Ensure strategic, coordinated development rather than piecemeal or reactive growth