What is the Carver County Community Development Agency?

The Carver County Community Development Agency (CDA) is a local government agency administering a number of county-wide programs in the areas of single and multi-family housing, foreclosure counseling, rental assistance and economic development.

Who Does the CDA Assist?

Carver County is located 20 miles southwest of Minneapolis and is one of the fastest growing counties in the Twin Cities metro area based on population, housing and business expansion. Our prime objective is to assist all county residents, cities and businesses with all types of housing or economic development services. We can provide information or technical assistance to homeowners, renters, landlords and businesses. If the CDA is unable to assist you, referrals will be made.

Our History

The Carver County Housing and Redevelopment Authority was formed in 1980 by Minnesota State Legislature. Through the years we’ve seen incredible growth in large part due to the continued growth and development of Carver County.

In 2002, we were granted Economic Development Authority powers by the state legislature. Although the focus of the Carver County HRA hadn’t changed, our roles in Carver County communities began to expand, leading us to a legislative name change in 2006 from the Carver County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (CCHRA) to the Carver County Community Development Agency (CDA).

Through the name change we wanted residents and businesses to know that we had expanded our role and services even further.
Our Board and Staff partner with our cities, chambers of commerce, local businesses and residents to promote Carver County as an exceptional place to live, work and play in the Twin Cities metro area.

To date, we have pumped more than $140 million dollars into our communities for downtown and neighborhood revitalization. CDA staff assists approximately 3,000 clients per year with various housing needs. These needs will increase as Carver County’s population is expected to approach 200,000 by 2030 — three times the number of residents since 1990.

The County has one of the strongest housing markets in the metro area, outperforming the region even during the recent housing slowdown. This growth has been generated by:

  • A growing recognition of Carver County’s outstanding quality of life.
  • The Highway 212 extension and other major highway improvements.

Our Mission

“The Carver County Community Development Agency provides Affordable Housing opportunities and fosters Economic and Community Development in Carver County. “

Since 2005, our Economic Development Department has responded to over 250 businesses with assistance on:

  • Available business loan funds
  • Available land and buildings
  • Development of business plans
  • Labor information
  • Marketing information
  • Local economic development research

We are continually refining and expanding our capabilities to:

  • Increase commercial development in Carver County
  • Develop and implement a county marketing strategy
  • Continue to develop workforce and senior housing to align with Carver County’s vision of creating “Communities for a Lifetime” in Carver County
  • Proactively plan and strategize for future growth
  • Facilitate and complete a county-wide housing and economic development study
  • Educate community citizens on what we do and the services we provide
  • Create partnerships and collaborate with entities with similar objectives

CDA 2019-2020 Strategic Plan