Northwest Minnesota Multi County Housing Authority

Northwest Minnesota Multi County Housing Authority, a non-profit public housing authority based in Mentor, Minnesota, receives federal grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a formula-grant recipient for public housing capital improvements, operations, and resident self-sufficiency programs serving low-income households across northwestern Minnesota.

The Authority operates exclusively as a grant recipient with no contracting footprint. Its federal funding flows from HUD's Public and Indian Housing Office through three recurring grant programs: the Public Housing Capital Fund (CFDA 14.872), which supports modernization, infrastructure upgrades, emergency repairs, and energy efficiency enhancements for the Authority's public housing inventory under 24 CFR Part 905; the Public Housing Operating Fund, which covers day-to-day operational and maintenance expenses, anti-crime and security activities, resident supportive services, and administrative program implementation; and the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, which funds salaries and fringe benefits for FSS coordinators responsible for enrolling residents, developing individual training and services plans, and building employer partnerships to help participants achieve employment and wage improvement goals. A single Rural Housing Service award from the Department of Agriculture appears in the Authority's award history but represents less than 2% of total activity.

The Authority's grant portfolio totals 51 awards spanning the past two decades, with $8.3 million in combined obligated dollars. Activity remains steady at three to four awards per year in recent years. Four awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months. Recent awards include a $274,985 Public Housing Capital Fund formula grant awarded April 1, 2026, with completion targeted for March 31, 2030, supporting capital and management activities for public housing units; a January 1, 2026, Family Self-Sufficiency grant running through December 31, 2026, for FSS coordinator salaries and fringe benefits; and a January 1, 2026, Public Housing Operating Fund grant extending through December 31, 2032, covering operational subsidies for maintenance and administrative expenses. The Authority also holds a Jobs-Plus Pilot Initiative grant awarded June 1, 2024, completing May 31, 2027. All grant funding originates from HUD's Public and Indian Housing Office, creating 100% customer concentration within a single agency.