Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
After months of searching for a successor to Kathy Steinbach, who had been director of the Eddy County Housing Authority (ECHA) since June 2018, the county’s housing authority is finally under new management.
On Dec. 7, 2021, the Great Plains Housing Authority (GPHA) was officially contracted to manage the ECHA for most of 2022, and potentially longer. Based out of Jamestown, the GPHA is a quasi-governmental agency that operates the housing authorities in seven nearby counties, including Wells and Foster counties.
The contract signed on Dec. 7 will automatically renew every 12 months unless Eddy County decides to end the contract. David Klein, Executive Director of the GPHA, believes the new partnership will work to the benefit of Eddy County residents.
“I think the community will see a positive approach as we continue to work for the county, and move forward with the program, and with the contract,” Klein said. “... We’re excited about the opportunity and we’re getting things updated so people are able to see Eddy County listed with everything else on the website.”
Steinbach officially retired from her position as the ECHA director on Nov. 30, but due to some delays, the GPHA was unable to sign the contract for another week. Klein told the Transcript on Monday that those delays were caused by a number of factors, namely difficulty gathering a quorum to approve the contract.
Nevertheless, the GPHA is now fully operational in Eddy County. According to Klein, information and forms for Eddy County residents should be accessible on their website, greatplainsha.com, as soon as this week.
Klein added, “We’re able to bring a lot of extra services that will help Eddy County and help landlords, in addition to the expertise that we have working with these H.U.D. (Housing and Urban Development) programs.”
Klein went on to explain that residents and landlords in Eddy County can also expect a few new features, such as streamlined access and ability to submit applications, and a feature that would allow applicants to report their income by simply taking a picture with their smartphone. Additionally, the GPHA is currently working on making direct deposit available for rent checks.
The GPHA will also have a representative, Sarah Ludwig, scheduled to be in Eddy County from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Friday at the Social Services building in New Rockford. Ludwig, once a member of the Community Ambulance Service of New Rockford, was also the director of the ECHA for over a year, from 2015 to 2016.
Anyone who has questions or would like to schedule an appointment with Ludwig, can call the GPHA five days a week at (701) 252-1098.
“We’re an active organization that really enjoys working with our clientele and helping match up community services, as well as being advocates for not only those clients but our communities,” Klein said.
