A lack of available housing across rural Minnesota is contributing to labor shortages and limiting communities’ ability to recruit new residents. While a house is typically viewed as a private asset, it is also a public good by supporting workforce stability, community leadership, and long-term population.
In this webinar, we explore a recent Economic Impact Analysis conducted in Otter Tail County that quantifies the economic value of simply having housing available in a rural community. Using examples of apartments, townhomes, and single-family homes at varying income levels, the analysis reveals the annual economic return generated by housing development.
We also highlight the actions taken by public agencies in Otter Tail County on “The Big Build” — a county-based initiative to build and renovate 5,000 homes.
On-demand webinar
Recorded: August 26, 2025
Presenters
About our presenters
Ben Winchester has been working both in and for small towns across the Midwest for around 30 years. He lives in St. Cloud, Minnesota with his wife and two children. Ben is trained as a rural sociologist and works in the Department of Community Development at the University of Minnesota Extension. He conducts applied research on economic, social, and demographic topics surrounding a theme of “rewriting the rural narrative” and received the Rural Renewal Research Prize in 2021 for this work.
Aiden Opatz is a regional educator in community economics, covering Southeastern Minnesota. He specializes in economic impact analysis and forecasting the generational transfer of wealth. Aiden is currently exploring how to model the economic impact of constructing and habitating homes. He received a master’s degree in applied economics from the University of Minnesota and holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Luther College.
Amy Baldwin is the community development director with Otter Tail County, holding this position since March 2019. In this role, she works to strengthen communities throughout the County by expanding housing investment, promoting business development and fostering public/private partnerships to advance key strategic initiatives. Prior to joining Otter Tail County, she spent over 15 years in community and economic development roles with various communities in Minnesota.
Presentation notes
- Rural housing: Economic impact of a housing unit in Otter Tail County, MN (Ben and Aiden’s presentation slides)
- Otter Tail County Big Build (Amy’s presentation slides)
Shared resources
- The Big Build - Otter Tail County
- Otter Tail County sees housing growth in 2024
- Overview of Extension's Economic Impact Analysis
Reviewed in 2025