One Roof Community Housing works to build homes

Although home ownership can be challenging, there is help. One resource for people wanting a house is One Roof Community Housing, which has been the entity behind the Nordic Star development in the city of Grand Marais and the Four Directions apartment building in Lutsen. 

It was not easy to bring these housing projects to fruition. One Roof Housing has a long record of building homes under a community land trust model in Duluth, but working in Cook County brought new challenges. 

Jeff Corey, executive director of One Roof Community Housing, acknowledged that in his message in the nonprofit’s annual report. He wrote, “If it was easy to build affordable housing in Grand Marais, other developers would have done it. 

“If it was easy to lend money to people with low incomes to fix home that are low in value, banks would do it. 

“If it was easy to counsel people with bad credit and mediate tenant-landlord disputes, profit-centered firms would do it,” said Corey. 

He went on to thank the funders, members, donors, sponsors and partners who believe in the One Roof Community Housing mission: Enriching lives and communities one home at a time. 

During a visit to WTIP, Corey added to that, thanking the North Shore community for its support.

With him was One Roof Housing Development Coordinator Julie Petrusha with more information on the local projects as well. 

Learn more about One Roof Community Housing along with WTIP’s Rhonda Silence. 

There will be an open house at the Nordic Star houses in Grand Marais on June 7, 8 and 9. There will be a wine and cheese gathering from 4-7 p.m. on June 7 at 11 Nordic Star Drive. Then on July 8-9, from 9 – 11 a.m., visitors can tour that house as well as 34 Nordic Star Drive.