Duluth to Provide Free Land for Creative Housing Proposals

To address its housing shortage, the city of Duluth is giving away free parcels of land to developers with viable proposals for low-cost housing.

1 minute read

December 13, 2019, 11:00 AM PST

By Philip Rojc @PhilipRojc


Duluth

Derek Bakken / Flickr

The Minnesota city's Rebuild Duluth program will award 13 plots of public property to "whomever could put forward a 'good, achievable idea that can provide affordable housing on the land,'" Jared Brey writes. Aside from that there are few restrictions, although "a shipping container on cinder blocks wouldn't make the cut."

"Notably, the city is only seeking ideas for lower-cost housing development, and not imposing any affordability requirements or income restrictions on the homes after they're built," says Brey. The city hopes that the free land, combined with recent zoning changes permitting smaller setbacks and narrower houses, will let developers lower costs enough to make project viable, he goes on.

Along with Rebuild Duluth, the city has also debuted a new housing task force which may give rise to an affordable housing trust fund. Nevertheless, it's still debatable whether these measures will be enough to spur truly affordable development without a stronger public mandate.

As Joel Sipress, a history professor and Duluth city councilor, put it, "One of the things that I think we've learned since the federal government walked away from public housing in the 1970s is that all these programs that are essentially designed to try to incentivize private capital to build affordable housing are not capable of getting the job done."

Tuesday, November 26, 2019 in Next City

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight