Public hearing marks halfway through housing rehab grant

Officials with Southern Iowa Council of Governments (SICOG) gave an update to the Greenfield City Council on a housing grant first awarded in October 2020.

The total original award was $252,200. Work on four homes has been completed, two are still under construction. Officials report that overall, the jobs are about 60% finished, with a target date of sometime in July for completion.

When SICOG went through staff transition, the grant program was transferred to Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO) in Atlantic.

These housing project beneficiaries are low income residents in the target area.

This public hearing is a step required by the grant program when the funds are about half way spent.

There has been $162,572 spent thus far with $15,627 spent on administrative feeds and $33,000 on technical services. There has been nothing spent for a local match, as that is an amount pro-rated per home.

The goal of this endeavor, for the city, is to maintain good housing stock. Projects vary widely depending on the home.

About 50 residences applied for the grant at first. About 20 were approved, which left a waiting list. Six properties were awarded the grant funds, with a few alternates also chosen, the newspaper reported in 2020.

If a similar grant comes up later, SICOG officials said they would have the waiting list to go to for property owners who may be interested in work of their own.

The council also held a public hearing on the current fiscal year’s budget, amending certain areas before the close of the fiscal year June 30.

The council approved a seal coat bid from Blacktop Services for certain areas around town.