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Resources & Information

Common questions and experiences from homeowners guide this resource list. In general, for home maintenance topics, an internet search and YouTube videos are a great place to start. For non-emergency financial, physical & mental health, childcare, employment, taxes, etc. 211unitedway.org is a 24/7 resource. Please share additional resources with btapp@1roofhousing.org. This list is not exhaustive, and new resources may develop and some may expire.

Financial Counseling & Budgeting

Whether you want to get out of debt or plan for your future, a budget and assistance from a financial counselor can get you there. When you own a home, house upkeep and maintenance emergencies are two new line items to add to your savings budget.

Community Action Duluth offers a free class called Common Cents and Integrated Coaching Program for credit building, budgeting, asset building, and debt reduction. Call (218) 726-1665. Lutheran Social Services provides free financial counseling. Get in better financial shape with these free resources.

As per your Land Lease, you are responsible for paying all taxes and assessments associated with your property. Why the homeowner is responsible for paying the property taxes is because the homeowner gets the benefit, “quiet enjoyment” of the land; One Roof does not per Article 4.7 of your Land Lease Agreement.

Typically, property taxes will be escrowed with your mortgage and paid by your mortgage holder. If you pay off your mortgage, you will need to make plans to save this money throughout the year and pay the property taxes on your own.

As with all homeowners, the interest portion of your mortgage payment is tax deductible. If you itemize your federal income taxes, the property taxes that are paid are also tax deductible.

Be sure to apply for a Property Tax Refund.   

Check your Homestead Status on your property tax statement. If it does not say “Homestead”, contact the county accessor to get this changed which will give you a reduction on your property taxes.

St. Louis County

Carlton County

Lake County

Cook County

Then, apply for the Homestead Credit.

If you or your spouse is 65 years of age or older, check if you qualify for Property Tax Deferral for Senior Citizens. 

  • Notify One Roof. Let us know if you are at risk of foreclosure or struggling to pay bills. We may have resources to help.  
  • Connect with a HUD-approved housing counselor. This is especially important if you are facing foreclosure. HUD-approved housing counselors provide free, unbiased, confidential services to help homeowners make choices to address their housing needs. Lutheran Social Services is our local HUD-approved housing counseling organization. Call (888) 577-2227 or email cccs@lssmn.org.
  • Contact your mortgage servicer to discuss what options may be available to you to avoid foreclosure. You can learn more at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
  • Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP) offers services for homeowners in St. Louis County. Call 2-1-1 to apply or visit St. Louis County’s website for more information.
  • If you are behind on your mortgage due to an inpatient or residential stay of 90 days or less  for the treatment of serious mental illness or Substance Use Disorder, contact The Arc Minnesota about their Crisis Housing Assistance Program.

Have you ever thought about adding solar panels to your home? Since 2021, 24 One Roof Community Land Trust homeowners have installed solar with the assistance of nonprofit organizations Solar United Neighbors and MN Interfaith Power & Light. You can read news stories about those on Northern Wilds and the Duluth News Tribune.

If you’re curious about going solar but don’t know where to start, watch this Solar 101 webinar that covers the basics of solar, financing, and tax incentives. The webinar was produced by Solar United Neighbors that helps organize group buy co-ops, which is discussed in the webinar.

If you are in MN Power territory, and your household earns at or below 50% of Minnesota’s State Median Income, One Roof may be able to help you tap into grants that cover some or all of the cost of going solar. If you meet the guidelines and are interested in going solar, contact Brooke Tapp at btapp@1roofhousing.org or by phone at (218) 206-9316. MN Power also offers a rebate for a solar installation – Minnesota Power SolarSense.

This section provide steps you can take to make energy efficiency improvements to your home as well as where you can find financial incentives and rebates to help cover costs of these improvements. The bottom of this section has a link to a One Roof webinar addressing energy efficiency. 

Start Here: the IRA calculator tool will give you an idea of what rebates and incentives your household could qualify for based on where you live and your income. You can also create an account to help track your progress on the energy savings journey.

Next: Schedule a Home Energy Audit. For more details on how to get a Home Energy Audit, reference the Home Energy Audit section on this webpage. A Home Energy Audit will give you the information you need about your house to determine which energy efficiency home improvements to focus on. It is advised to make improvement your homes “envelope” first.

Home envelope improvement (windows, doors, insulation, roof, & foundation):


Then: Implement the project! Get financing if needed.

Use utility rebates:

Find financial incentives:

Learn about Air Source Heat pumps:

Online guides to make your home more energy efficient:

Reach out to Brooke if you want assistance navigating any of the steps along the way. btapp@1roofhousing.org or (218) 206-9316


  • Income-eligible households can apply for Energy Assistance Program (EAP) online or contact AEOA for an application. For those within the City of Duluth, AEOA can be contacted at (218) 623-3011. Those outside of Duluth can reach AEOA at (800) 662-5711.
  • As part of the EAP application, you can also select your interest in receiving weatherization services. 
  • If you are in the MN Power service area and qualify for EAP, you are eligible for an electric bill discount through MN Power’s CARE Program. To apply:
    • Complete your LIHEAP application with AEOA at the contact information above.
    • Fill out the CARE application online  or call a CARE Representative at (218) 355-3500. 
  • AEOA offers weatherization for income-eligible residents of Lake, Cook and St. Louis counties.
  •  
  • In the MN Power service area, all households can receive energy information and expert energy guidance. You’ll receive energy-saving products and a detailed action plan to conserve energy in your daily activities at home. Learn more at www.mnpower.com/HEA. 
  • Ecolibrium3 is a nonprofit organization providing home assessments for Duluth residents of all incomes, including renters. Rebates are available to help cover the cost of the analysis. Learn more at www.ecolibrium3.org/energy.
  • For Cook County residents, Mark Senty is the local energy auditor. Request an audit through his website. You can also contact the Cook County Local Energy Project to receive assistance on actualizing all other energy incentives and rebates.
  • Arrowhead Electric customers: arrowheadcoop.com/rebates 
  • Minnesota Energy Resource customers can take advantage of online energy analysis tools and rebates. 
  • Cooperative Light & Power customers: clpower.com/rates-rebates 
  • Guide for Northern Gardeners 
  • Homeowner Landscaping Resources 
  • Lawns to Legumes grant
  • Trees
    • If a tree is touching power lines, contact your power company. Minnesota Power has a routine vegetation maintenance cycle. They trim and/or remove vegetation that interferes with electric facilities.
    • If trees at your Community Land Trust home are growing into power lines, and it appears that the trees must be cut, please call Minnesota Power at 1-800-228-4966. A Minnesota Power representative will visit the property and evaluate the trees for trimming or removal that interfere with electric lines. In some cases Minnesota Power may cut the tree down, trim branches or offer to drop the customer service wire so that they or a contractor can perform the work. Minnesota Power does not clean up any type of tree debris for this work.
    • If a tree has been damaged in some manner (storm, disease, fire) Minnesota Power may cut the tree down, trim branches or remove the hazard to restore electric service. Minnesota Power does not clean up any tree debris. Cleanup is the responsibility of the customer that owns the tree. Call the CLT Stewardship Associate if you need a list of tree service companies.

Making some renovations to your home and signing up for services can help you remain in your home. Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity has put together a guide for Aging In Place that you can download for free on their website. https://home.tchabitat.org/age-well-at-home. Share this guide with your loved ones and contractors. Western Lake Superior Habitat for Humanity serves Carlton, South St. Louis, Lake and Cook counties with their Age In Place program. Other local services include Age Well Arrowhead (a paid service): 218-623-7800 and Senior Linkage Line (information line): 800-333-2433

Cook County Resources

Locate Local Resources

Discounted Duluth Playhouse Tickets

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