Community Development and Housing

On the Map strategies make Otter Tail County front and center when people are looking for a place to visit, live, and work.

Otter Tail Lakes Country Association is our partner organization that combines tourism marketing and resident recruitment messages throughout the Midwest. Explore the programs and messages delivered as part of the On the Map strategies at ottertaillakescountry.com.

Infrastructure strategies build and grow the things that people need to live in our region – housing, broadband, childcare, and outdoor recreation. With the success of On the Map strategies, people want to live in Otter Tail County, but that requires having the infrastructure in place for new and existing residents to thrive.

• Housing: Housing is a unique and multi-faceted component to Otter Tail County’s community development efforts. The Community Development Agency (CDA) and Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) focus on countywide housing needs. With the understanding that all residents of Otter Tail County, current and future, should have access to safe, decent, and affordable housing opportunities, the County has prioritized investment in housing growth and redevelopment with The Big Build initiative.
• Broadband: Access to high-quality internet is needed by families and businesses to work, learn, and connect. The County works with broadband providers to increase access to high-speed internet and with partner organizations to close the digital access and equity divide.
• Child Care: Child care is a workforce need to maintain the currently available labor force and shape the future workforce. The CDA works with partners and providers to address the capacity gap for child care in Otter Tail County.
• Outdoor Recreation: Recreation opportunities and assets provide an outlet for physical and mental wellbeing and provide jobs benefitting the county’s economy. The County is working to build and protect assets including parks, trails, and lakes.

Employer strategies support business retention and workforce development to grow our resilient economy. Workforce development is a key priority of the CDA as labor force shortages are a major barrier to business success and growth. The CDA’s action-oriented workforce strategy, OTC Works, will help our partners innovate and develop solutions.

Welcoming Community strategies foster positive communities for newcomers and residents to find belonging and build relationships. If the three other strategies are successful in bringing people to the County, providing what they need to live, and supporting the organizations that provide a living for people, but we don’t create and foster communities where people feel welcome, research shows they are less likely to stay. Whether formal or informal in nature, community-specific or countywide, these strategies create value for newcomers and long-term residents.