Summit hosted to find solutions to fill the housing gap in the Sioux Falls metro area

BRANDON, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - On Wednesday, the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance kicked off a two-day summit to discuss multiple issues affecting the region. Their key topic of discussion is how they plan to address the need for new housing. The “2023 Growth Summit” brought together regional experts, city and state officials and industry leaders to discuss creative ideas and practical solutions. Despite inflation, there may be a few options to attack the issue.

“Growth” has almost been a buzzword of late. A rising population and many job opportunities bring many positives to the region, but it also brings very real challenges.

“The biggest issues that we always have is availability and affordability,” said Dan Kippley, a business development employee with Ellis & Eastern Railroad. “All those communities are key components to every business in Sioux Falls and the surrounding areas. So in order to build a workforce, we have to have housing and daycare of course is an issue, too.”

The housing gap is not exclusive to the Sioux Falls area. Jason Duf, one of the keynote speakers for the summit, has traveled across the country to address issues with small towns through his organization, Small Nation.

“We really need to address a few things,” said Duff. “Number one, we need to create more inventory in the market. We also need to help families and individuals have more mobility to be able to move to different housing products. So people like me are flying in from Ohio and other states to share our best practices of things that we’re learning and also been learning from folks that are here as well.”

A way forward comes with the collaboration of key stakeholders. One of the reasons they hold the conference in the first place is to get developers, engineers and other leaders together in hopes that the conversations lead to results everyone can be happy with. Every solution is as unique as the location it will be implemented.

“Growth does create issues and with that, we have to sit down and collaborate together,” Kippley explained. “That’s what this conference is all about is collaboration to help those young growing families that is our bread and butter as far as our future growth.”

Day two of the “Growth Summit” will focus on a few new topics. You can find the schedule of events here.

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