Housing briefs

The Brainerd Building and Inspections Department is implementing a rental housing registration program.

The Brainerd City Council determined there was a need for a registration program, along with periodic inspections of residential rental units in the city to ensure such units meet city and state safety, health and fire codes that promote public health and safety of the community.

The intent is to have all rental properties in the city of Brainerd registered by April 15. A mailing was prepared in March and sent to non-homesteaded property owners.

People who own or manage rental units and who haven't received the information packet, including the registration forms, are asked to call the inspections office at 828-2309.

Owners and managers are asked to remember to include the registration fee when returning the rental registration forms. The cost is an annual fee of $12 per unit (example: a duplex is two units; triplex, three).

Edina Realty donates to food shelf

Edina Realty, Brainerd and Crosslake offices, recently donated more than a ton of food to the Salvation Army Food Shelf in Brainerd.

Donations were from Edina Realty agents and customers.

USDA increases its mortgage limits

ST. PAUL -- Steve Wenzel, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development state director, announced the mortgage limits for the Rural Housing Direct Loan program increased significantly, effective March 24.

The heightened limits will enable families to select from a wider range of available housing and will make new construction more of a viable alternative where needed.

The new mortgage limits are varied in each county throughout Minnesota.

For fiscal year 2003, USDA Rural Development invested $18,178,400 through its Rural Housing Direct Loan program and leveraged it with $4,200,000 from a variety of state partners. These dollars helped provide homeownership to 226 families in Minnesota.

For more information, contact the USDA Rural Development state office at (651) 602-7800 or the local USDA Rural Development Office, which is generally listed in the blue pages of phone directories. Or visit the Web site of USDA Rural Development in Minnesota at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/mn.