The Chair of Huron County's Economic Development Board says it's time the board turned it's attention to the housing shortage in the county.
John Marshall recently visited several of the county's municipalities and the mayors congratulated the board on the work they've done in attracting investment into the county. But they also pointed out that's also created a couple of problems.
Marshall says what they mayors are telling him is the jobs created by the investment is great, but there are no people to fill the jobs and there is no housing for people even if they could be convinced to re-locate in Huron County.
“What the mayors are saying to me is housing, housing, housing. It's got to be on our radar screen, as an economic development board, we don't have a complete strategy on it but we're just starting a sub committee on housing.”
Marshall admits housing is something that has to be on the board's radar and at this point they don't have strategy to address it, so, he says, they are now in the process of creating a sub-committee on housing.
Marshall says the Economic Development people at the county are very much focused on the issues of people and housing, but they haven't been as high on the board's list as they should have been and he promises they will be moving forward.
“But we got two issues surrounding those jobs; people and housing. The Economic Development people at the county are very much focused on these two issues, but they haven't been as top-of-mind at our board as they should have been and they are from now on.”