June 10, 2025
Local NewsState & National

SICOG awarded $229K for housing projects in 8-county region

Eligible counties may submit applications to SICOG for housing projects at any time.

By KELSEY HAUGEN

This house at 507 S. Elm St. in Creston was constructed through a partnership between Union County Development Association and Southwestern Community College as part of UCDA's Elm Street affordable housing project. The house was listed for about a year before selling in July 2015. This month, the Southern Iowa Council of Governments Housing Trust Fund was awarded nearly $230,000 to be distributed for area housing projects such as this one, which last year's Housing Trust Fund helped with. (CNA file)

The Southern Iowa Council of Governments Housing Trust Fund has been awarded $229,482 for fiscal year 2017, which will be used for housing projects in SICOG’s eight-county coverage area.

The counties eligible to apply for grant money through SICOG for housing projects are: Union, Adair, Adams, Clarke, Decatur, Madison, Ringgold and Taylor.

“Primarily, we will continue to assist Habitat for Humanity in building homes, and we typically are involved with the Area Agency on Aging in doing small renovations to homes to make them more accessible for the elderly,” said Tim Ostroski, SICOG executive director. “We provide money to cities to do moderate and below income housing rehabilitation. We generally participate with the weatherization program through MATURA, and there are a variety of other programs, like the Elm Street Corridor. ... It kind of is all over the place but primarily affordable housing.”

Recently, the Iowa Finance Authority Board approved a total of about $6.2 million in grants to 25 Local Housing Trust Funds to support affordable housing initiatives, which will help 2,326 Iowa families. The funding is provided through the State Housing Trust Fund.

“The Iowa Legislature created the Local Housing Trust Fund program to allow certified Local Housing Trust Funds the ability to efficiently fulfill unique local affordable housing needs and these awards will do just that,” said Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Dave Jamison in a press release. “The grants ... are leveraging an additional $2.8 million in local contributions, which is a testament to the shared commitment to provide Iowans with a place they can be proud to call home.”

Funding will be used for projects such as preserving aging housing stock, subsidizing local down payment assistance programs, providing low-interest loans or grants to assist Iowans in home rehabilitation, financing construction of new single-family housing for low-income Iowans and supporting housing for people with disabilities and homeless assistance programs.

Representatives involved with housing projects in each of the counties SICOG serves have the opportunity at any time during the year to submit an application to SICOG seeking grant money for housing projects.

From the nearly $230,000 SICOG will have in 2017 in its Local Housing Trust Fund, money will be distributed to counties for projects selected by the SICOG Board.

“Because it’s an open-application process, we don’t predetermine money to individual counties,” Ostroski said. “It is a regional fund. So, as we get projects in, the board considers them and makes awards. Consistently, we have provided money to all eight counties on a yearly basis. But, if they don’t ask for it, we don’t just give them money to do projects.”

In Union County last year, SICOG gave grant money from the Housing Trust Fund to be used for the Elm Street housing project headed by Union County Development Association in partnership with Southwestern Community College.

“Our very first project was through the Housing Trust Fund, and it was a demo grant, where we acquired the home but then the grant allowed us to demolish the home and do asbestos removal and get the site cleaned up,” said Wayne Pantini, UCDA executive director. “Then, as a result of that, the buyers of the home had some maximum income restrictions for them, so they just have to meet those income restrictions to qualify to purchase the home.”

Pantini spoke of the importance of receiving state funding for housing projects.

“If there are opportunities to leverage those dollars for projects, especially for updating infill housing, then it just improves the overall housing market,” he said.

The Iowa Legislature created the State Housing Trust Fund in 2003 and, to date, has provided $56.4 million in housing assistance benefiting 20,300 Iowa families.

The state fund seeks to ensure safe, affordable housing for Iowans through two programs: the Local Housing Trust Fund and Project-Based Housing, which helps with development of affordable, single-family and multi-family housing. Iowa Finance Authority manages both programs.

For more information on the money awarded to SICOG or to submit an application from one of the eight counties, call SICOG at 641-782-8491.