(Area) Four southwest Iowa communities are receiving a combined $130,000 in state grants to support housing and community development projects.
Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Economic Development Authority announced $385,000 in Empower Rural Iowa grants for 15 rural communities statewide.
Atlantic and Greenfield each received $50,000 through the Rural Innovation: Housing 2.0 program.
In Atlantic, Trivium Life Services will use the funding to create an affordable, accessible home for people with disabilities, with features designed to promote independence and safety.
In Greenfield, Paramount Development of Clive will relocate and rehabilitate 10 federally assisted senior cottages. The project includes six modular homes currently in storage and four occupied cottages that will be relocated as they become vacant.
The homes will be placed on a one-acre site and provide affordable, accessible rentals for seniors earning 30% or less of the area median income. The project addresses housing needs intensified by the 2024 tornado.
Avoca received a $20,000 Rural Housing Readiness Assessment grant. The city will partner with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach to assess housing needs and develop strategies to guide future development.
Meanwhile, Vision Sidney received a $10,000 Rural BOOST grant to develop a strategic plan to move priority community projects from planning and design toward implementation.
The Empower Rural Iowa grants are administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Center for Rural Revitalization. The program supports rural communities with fewer than 20,000 residents that are not adjacent to cities with populations of 40,000 or more.
