Foresight / Insight / Action: Two New Tools to Make Your Chamber Ready for 2035

What if the housing crisis can’t be built away? Building more housing matters—but it’s only part of the solution.

Across the country, communities are struggling with housing that is affordable, available, and in good condition. In many rural areas, these challenges are emerging first, driven by simple realities: people living longer, staying in homes that no longer fit their needs, and fewer homes turning over to new residents and workers.

Join University of Minnesota Extension sociologist Ben Winchester for a practical, data-driven conversation about how demographic shifts and years of private inaction—not regulation—are reshaping housing supply and local economies. Ben will break down the “moving in, moving out, and moving over” patterns that help explain why empty bedrooms can exist alongside housing shortages, tight labor markets, and stalled growth.

The session will also highlight Otter Tail County’s Big Build as a real-world example of how communities are responding—showing the private benefits that can come from public action when housing is treated as an economic development issue.

What you’ll learn:

• Why helping seniors “age in place” can reduce housing turnover and affect workforce availability.

• How empty bedrooms and low turnover shrink housing supply and weaken the local tax base.

• What “move-over housing” is and why it matters for growth.

• How Otter Tail County in MN is approaching housing in a way that supports employers and welcomes new residents.

Whether you work in housing, development, real estate, construction, workforce, local government—or simply care about your community’s future—this session will help you see housing not just as a social issue, but as one of the most underused economic development tools available. This was “the best session on housing I’ve ever seen,” from the International City/County Management Association conference in 2025.

You’ll leave with a clearer picture of what’s coming—and how communities are responding.

Meet our presenters and host:

Ben Winchester has been working both in and for small towns across the Midwest for around 30 years. He lives in St. Cloud, Minnesota, with his wife and two children. Ben is trained as a rural sociologist and works in the Department of Community Development at the University of Minnesota Extension. He conducts applied research on economic, social, and demographic topics related to the theme of “rewriting the rural narrative,” and he received the Rural Renewal Research Prize in 2021 for this work.

Amy Baldwin is the community development director with Otter Tail County, holding this position since March 2019. In this role, she works to strengthen communities throughout the County by expanding housing investment, promoting business development, and fostering public/private partnerships to advance key strategic initiatives. Before joining Otter Tail County, she spent over 15 years in community and economic development roles across various Minnesota communities.

This session is hosted by Rebecca Ryan, APF, FRSA, an economist, top-50 professional futurist, and founder of NEXT Generation Consulting (NGC). Her residencies and fellowships include the Alliance for Innovation, the Governing Institute, the Association of Government Risk Pools, and the Royal Society of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce. Rebecca's collaborative, creative approach to shaping the future has been trusted by leaders from over 200 communities, touching one in five Americans.

It's back (in a new format): Futures Friday with Rebecca Ryan on Substack!

There is NO REGISTRATION LINK. Anyone can join.

Please add this to your calendar:

When: Friday, July 11 at Noon Eastern/11:00 AM Central

What: Rebecca will dissect this week's wildest signal, share her unfiltered take, and show you how to spot what others miss. Then shee'll dig into YOUR questions. 30 minutes, live, no scripts.

Why: The future isn’t a place we visit; it’s a place we create

Where: Here's the link to join on Friday, July 11

2024 is expected to be a year of disruption. Times of disruption favor leaders with a clear and relevant vision who are prepared to innovate and take bold action.

In this live event, economist and top-50 professional futurist Rebecca Ryan, APF and her colleague will discuss the threats and opportunities inherent in disruption, plus results of the 2024 Leadership Survey:

* What tailwinds are expected to accelerate progress?

* What headwinds are expected to impede progress?

* What weak signals - early change indicators - have leaders' attention now?

* What "black swans" - unexpected events - could significantly alter the trajectories of American businesses, communities, and nonprofits?

Panelists include:

* David G. Brown, award-winning Chamber executive, catalytic leader and community-builder

* Yasemin Arikan, MA, futurist and social scientist

All registrants will receive:

* 30-day access to the event recording

* A PDF of the report, "Now + Next: Leaders’ Optimism for the Near Term + Concerns About the Future"

Imagine a world a decade from now. How prepared are you to thrive? Join Rebecca Ryan, an economist and top-50 professional futurist, for an exclusive session on: "Ten Trends You'll Face in the Next Ten Years."