Economic Development Board Discusses Housing Need

Local officials continue to discuss the need for more people in the workforce, and how that can best be addressed.

The topic was discussed at Tuesday's meeting of the Effingham County Economic Development Advisory Board. Craig Nielson of the Effingham County Growth Alliance and Effingham Mayor Jeff Bloemker were among who sat in on the meeting.

The Effingham County unemployment rate in April was 2.8%. That number indicates a small pool of available workers.

To attract workers, officials are trying to develop places for those workers to live.

Nielson last week discussed with us The Alliance's initiative to make available residential lots in Dieterich. Dieterich has been ahead of the curve for several years with North Point Estates subdivision, and now another residential subdivision being developed west of the Dieterich school complex and park.

Teutopolis is underway with a residential subdivision called Prairie View Subdivision on the southeast side of the village. Work to get infrastructure in place has begun.

Around the immediate Effingham area, Prairie Ace Estates is under development northwest of town near Effingham Country Club. Bloemker said they are working with the developers to provide infrastructure to the development. A residential subdivision along Hendelmeyer Avenue has rapidly filled up with more development underway along Blohm Avenue. There is also residential development underway east of Charlotte Street and north of the interstate.

Nielson said people are driving as much as an hour to work in Effingham. He said not all of those workers want to live here; they're happy with they are, but some would like to have the option of relocating here.