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Housing Summit in Canton, MO

The Tri-State Development Summit has formed in 1996, following the historic Flood of 1993. 

The organization brings together communities leaders from several dozen counties in west-central Illinois, southeast Iowa, and northeast Missouri.

One of its standing committees focuses on housing needs in the tri-state region.  To assist in its efforts, a special day-long summit was held on the campus of Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri.

One of the lead sponsors of the summit was North East Community Action Corporation (NECAC), which serves about a dozen counties in northeast Missouri.  One of the top priorities for the Bowling Green-based organization is housing.

Deputy Director for Housing Developments and Grants Carla Potts says affordable housing is an issue in northeast Missouri and the region in general.  She says the housing stock is also aging.

Potts says these are serious issues as communities work to establish workforce housing.  She defines these as homes that can be purchased by professionals like teachers, police officers and firefighters.

Potts says that was a priority topic for the summit.  Some of the other issues discussed include financial opportunities, manufactured homes and construction options.

Potts hopes the summit leads to the formation of task forces and even partnerships between communities or agencies.

Jason Parrott is a former reporter at Tri States Public Radio.