The Mower County Board of Commissioners is helping the city of Austin maintain its low income housing options.

The county board sold three forfeited properties for $3 to the city, the Austin Housing and Redevelopment Authority, and the Freeborn/Mower Habitat for Humanity during a public meeting Tuesday.

Austin officials wanted to acquire 1206 Ninth St. NE, 707 12th St. NE and 609 10th Ave. NW.

City, HRA and Habitat staff hope to renovate the 10th Avenue and 12th Street homes, and demolish the Ninth Street home to make way for future housing.

“Housing is a pressing issue in our community,” Austin City Administrator Craig Clark told the board.

Clark and Austin joined a lobbying effort this year to persuade the state Legislature to fund more workforce housing developments in Minnesota.

In addition, the city hopes to bring more housing developments to the community, such as the Hormel Institute’s Science Park Housing project and the upcoming 30-unit Fox Point project.

Austin resident Jeff Bednar did come forward with an offer to buy the 12th Street property, but the board told him they would have to put the house on a public auction before they could sell him the home. They also would have to sell him the property at full value.

“We can’t sell you the property for $1,” board chairman Mike Ankeny said.

State statute allows counties to sell forfeited property to other government bodies or eligible nonprofits for rates much lower than market value.

Habitat for Humanity will work on the Ninth Avenue home this fall and could begin renovations on the 12th Street home if the house is in repairable condition.