Bemidji rental housing event aims to bring together tenants, landlords

BEMIDJI — Bemidji will host its first-ever rental housing seminar next month. The event will include child care and transportation to bring tenants, landlords and other stakeholders together.

Bemidji has had a tight rental market for years, and as the city’s affordable housing stock rapidly ages, conversations on housing are frequent in Bemidji’s halls of government.

Working with Beltrami County Health and Human Services and Bi-County Community Action Plan, or BiCAP, city rental inspector Ben Hein helped create the First City Rental Housing Seminar from 2 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23.

The event at the Sanford Center will include child care, with transportation points at Bemidji’s Lueken’s Village Foods stores and City Hall.

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City of Bemidji

"Bemidji is a unique community with unique challenges, and this just kind of seems like the right next move is to get everybody under one roof," Hein said.

Council members posed some questions about accessibility and food options during Hein’s presentation Monday but voiced their support of the seminar that aims to address Bemidji’s housing needs.

City Manager Rich Spiczka clarified that the seminar will have good information for all who are involved with Bemidji’s housing market, including landlords.

"I think we all understand that this isn't solving all the problems, but we hope it's a good place to jump off of and start from to be able to make some inroads there," Spiczka said.

Registration is requested, but not required, with more information on the city of Bemidji’s website.