Supervisors contribute to regional housing trust fund

VINTON – The Benton County Board of Supervisors focused on housing and budget information mailing during a quick meeting the day after Christmas.

Tracy Achenbach met with the board to request money for the East Central Iowa Housing Trust Fund for fiscal year 2025. The amount of the request has not increased from last year.

ECI is the only entity available to apply for housing trust funds. A 25% local match is required when East Central Iowa Housing applies for funds.

Benton, Iowa, Washington and Jones Counties are part of East Central Iowa. The organization hopes to apply for the same amount that it did last year.

The program started in 2011. Since then, the trust fund has received $1 million. Through Nov. 30, the program has provided $272,447 in Benton County, which helped 29 households.

Everyone assisted by ECI has to be low to moderate income, with one third of the state dollars required to be spent on extremely low income, which is 30% of area median income.

Applications are always due Oct. 1. Funds are awarded in December. The total budget is $503,793. The amount awarded is $403,034.

ECI is requesting $5,387 from Benton County. “It’s a bargain,” said Supervisor Richard Primmer.

Supervisor Chairman Tracy Seeman and Benton Development Group Director Kate Robertson serve on the board.

In other business, supervisors approved an agreement for budget and tax mailing requirements, per House File 718.

Benton County Auditor Hayley Rippel received estimates from mailing services. The cheapest service is Master’s Touch. The county will mail 17,000 parcels with budget information.

Supervisor Chairman Tracy Seeman gave a report on the county landfill. He said the demolition of the Herring Hotel in Belle Plaine created 652 tons of debris for the landfill.