Editor’s Note: The City of New Ulm presents a weekly column highlighting activities in different departments in the city government. Once a month the city will answer questions from readers. Questions on New Ulm city issues can be sent to comments@ci.new-ulm.mn.us.

The New Ulm Economic Development Authority (EDA) operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program in Brown County and also owns and manages the Public Housing and Market Rate rental units in the City of New Ulm.

The New Ulm EDA administers 124 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers available for use in all of Brown County. This program assists low income households where tenants pay approximately 30 percent of their monthly gross income for rent and tenant paid utilities. With this program, the voucher holder finds a unit they wish to rent in the private rental market. The rental unit must be rent reasonable and pass periodic inspections. Once a tenant obtains a voucher they may live anywhere in the United States that offers the Section 8 Voucher program. This allows a tenant to relocate to seek employment, attend school or live near their extended family. This is referred to as “portable” rental assistance, so the rental assistance stays with the voucher holder where ever they live if they continue to qualify for the assistance.

The EDA owns and manages 50 Public Housing units in New Ulm. Public Housing is available for low income households, and like the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, tenants pay approximately 30% of their monthly gross income for rent and tenant paid utilities. Broadway Haus Apartments consists of 38 one-bedroom units and 2 two-bedroom units. We also manage ten scattered site rental houses consisting of 2 two-bedroom, 6 three-bedroom and 2 four-bedroom units that are matched to the appropriate family size.

In addition, the EDA also owns the Garden Terrace I and II apartment buildings consisting of 29 one-bedroom and 59 two-bedroom units. These 88 units are general occupancy market rate units, which means there are no age or income restrictions that tenants must meet to live there, and no rental assistance is provided by the EDA.

We receive inquiries on a regular basis from people who are looking for housing in the area. We typically ask some basic questions regarding the needs of the household to determine if they need subsidized or market rate housing, assisted living or nursing home housing and we do our best to point them in the right direction. If you are a landlord, please feel free to let us know about your vacant units. We maintain and provide a list of Brown County apartment contact information to those who are searching for housing in the area.

If you feel that our office can help you in any way, please contact us at:

100 North Broadway

New Ulm, MN 56073

(507)359-8227

nueda@newulmmn.gov