City offers an incentive to remaining Edgewater

By Taylor Hale
STEVENS POINT – City leaders approved a plan to incentivize inhabitants of the soon-to-be-closed Edgewater Manor to move out. The approval was made during a Jan. 17 common council meeting.
The incentivization came about as the May 3 deadline for all tenants to vacate the building approaches. Community Development Manager Ryan Kernosky noted that of the 80 original tenants of the building, 12 remain. Kernosky said the primary reason the tenants have not left the complex is due to the cost of moving and paying for security deposits on a new home or rental.
The 12 tenants still at Edgewater now have three potential deadlines to claim incentivization money.
A total of $2,000 can be claimed if tenants move out by Feb. 28, $1,500 if they move out by By Mar. 31, and $1,000 by April 15.
City leaders added that they will work with tenants to avoid having the additional funding disqualify them from other income assistance programs.