To encourage construction of housing for low-income households in rural areas and mitigate a management problem with some properties in the city, the City of Albert Lea proposed the county establish a joint-powers agreement to manage the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) Thursday.

The city HRA manages about 200 rental units and provides administrative support for the federal Section 8 rent-assistance program.

Many of the users of the service come from the rural area, reflecting a shortage of eligible properties outside the city. However, such properties are also scarce in the city, and Section 8 certificate holders have been experiencing trouble finding a suitable residence for them.

The management problem is prevalent particularly at the Senior Towers high rise owned by the city, where increasing numbers of tenants with special needs have been creating

some tension among residents and more oversight needs.

The city has recently decided to detach the HRA from its administrative body to let it vigorously tackle those problems led by an independent board and staff. The board is now looking for a new full-time director who will head the organization.

The city thinks the county’s involvement would enhance the efficiency of the services and increase the supply of moderate housing in the rural area, which could help relieve the high demand in the city.

Some rural communities in the county are considering new housing units for moderate-income households. The county will discuss how the joint-powers arrangement could help those projects.