Hastings Has a 1,500-Unit Housing Gap

Hastings needs homes. A lot of them.

According to a housing needs assessment completed last year, the city has a housing unit gap of almost 1,500 units over the next five years. That breaks down to roughly 1,000 for-sale units and 400 rental units.

At this week's HEDRA meeting, staff laid out the development pipeline that could start chipping away at that number. Here's every project on the horizon.

The Projects

Pleasant Valley Farms— 375 homes

This is the big one. A 160-acre annexation north of Hastings High School that would extend General Sieben Drive all the way to County Road 42. Homes by Tradition is the developer. The project just went through Development Review Committee and is heading to the Park Board next. If all goes well, grading could start later this year with homes built by the end of 2027.

Heritage Ridge — 40 units

Another phase of this existing subdivision is in the works. This would add 40 more units to the neighborhood.

Sunset Hills Addition — 26 units

A new subdivision proposed north of 15th Street near Seas in the Sunset West neighborhood. The city just received the application and will be reviewing it over the next month or so.

Walden at Hastings — TBD

The developers told city staff they expect to have land use applications submitted within the next couple of months. This could be a significant project, but we're still waiting on details.

Climate-Controlled Storage — not housing, but notable

A 15,000 square foot storage building was approved near Coburn's. Not housing, but it shows development activity across the city.

Add It Up

If everything moves forward, we're looking at roughly 670+ new housing units from the projects with confirmed numbers. That's a solid dent in the 1,500-unit gap.

One HEDRA commissioner did the mental math during the meeting and made the same point. It won't solve the gap overnight, but it's meaningful progress.

Down Payment Help?

One commissioner asked whether Hastings would ever consider offering down payment assistance grants to attract homebuyers — something other cities in the metro have done.

Community Development Director John Hinzman said it's possible. He noted the city typically lets the Community Development Agency (CDA) take the lead on housing-related programs. The CDA already provides some assistance through their existing funding. Good to know if you're looking to buy in Hastings.

The 2024 Recap

Hinzman also presented the annual community development report. Some highlights from last year:

• 36 single-family home permits issued (42 units total)
• The city's housing lot inventory is getting low — but these new projects would refill it
• The façade improvement program gave out $24,000 to seven projects, which led to another $103,000 in private investment
• Staff made over 80 business drop-in visits around town
• Music and Markets doubled its events last year and partnered with the downtown concert series
• The city's zoning code review is moving toward public engagement soon

What It All Means

Hastings is at a turning point. The housing data shows clear demand. The development pipeline is fuller than it's been in years. And the city is actively clearing barriers — from environmental work on Block 28 to annexation reviews for Pleasant Valley.

The next 12-18 months will tell the story. We'll be watching every step.

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