Housing boom in Decorah has added $2.5 million in taxable valuation this year

The Decorah City Council last year narrowly approved a program to offer tax abatements to residential housing construction.

The latest construction figures might back the opinions of those who favored the program.  City Administrator Chad Bird says $3.9 million worth of single family or multiple family housing has been constructed in Decorah so far in 2015.  In addition, there has been almost $500,000 in housing renovations or additions.

Bird says overall the new housing construction will add around $2.5 million in additional taxable valuation in the city of Decorah