Housing program earns national award

AMES — The National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals has named Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s Community and Economic Development unit the 2025 National Winner of the Excellence in Community Development award for its Rural Housing Readiness Assessment program.

Since 2020, the program has helped more than 60 Iowa communities assess their housing needs and take action, generating more than $132 million in investment, with another $104 million in development.

Developed and facilitated by the Community and Economic Development unit within ISU Extension and Outreach, the RHRA helps communities understand their housing challenges and create practical solutions. The results include new housing construction, second-story apartment conversions, zoning changes, home repairs, downtown revitalization and creative tax incentives.

“This award is really about the local leaders,” said Omar Padilla, community development specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “It’s about the local officials, city staff and volunteers who care about where people live and who show up to help. But it’s also about our team — community development specialists who listen, ask the right questions and stick with a community until they’re ready to act.”

Communities across Iowa have seen measurable progress. In Newton, city leaders invested nearly $9 million in new housing and repairs. In Red Oak, more than $15 million has gone into townhomes, new homes and mobile home replacement, alongside a $1 million tax credit and an additional $5 million in planned investment. And in Rock Valley, a local committee directed an $8.3 million housing initiative that included single-family homes, downtown units and multifamily housing, with more projects still underway.

“The impact isn’t just in the dollars or the new units,” Padilla said. “We hear from communities one year, even three years later, about how they’re still moving forward. The award reflects that kind of momentum, the kind that lasts.”

That kind of progress doesn’t happen on its own. Behind every RHRA success story is a network of support, from state partners to local champions and the ISU Extension and Outreach specialists who help guide the work.

“Our staff often travel long distances, attend evening meetings and work with local leaders who already wear five different hats,” Padilla said. “It’s quiet work, but it’s building real change.”

The Iowa Economic Development Authority has partnered with the program to offer cost-share grants that help communities implement their housing plans. About one third of RHRA participants have chosen to fund the program entirely on their own, further underscoring local commitment.

New communities selected for the RHRA program will be announced later this year. Until then, ISU Extension and Outreach continues to track outcomes through an interactive dashboard, where visitors can explore housing strategies and local progress across the state.