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Great River Housing funds over $200,000 in Henry County projects
Year end report from GRH details fund usage in county
MT. PLEASANT — Projects in Henry County received over $200,000 in housing-related funds from Great River Housing Inc. programs over the last year.
According to information presented by GRH Grant Administrator Sara Hecox to the Henry County Board of Supervisors last Thursday, Nov. 30.
GRH funds are used through four programs: down payment assistance, development and project financing, owner occupied rehab and upper story conversion.
While GRH does work with these programs in Des Moines, Henry, Lee and Louisa counites, Hecox presented information specific to Henry County on Thursday.
Five homeowners in Henry County benefited from the owner occupied rehab program.
“We work with the Fellowship Cup, they send us a lot of referrals,” Hecox said. “Also we partner well with Community Action and they’ll send us homeowners that need assistance that they can’t help.”
These projects include putting new siding, windows, gutters, downspouts, and roofing on homes in Mt. Union, Wayland, Mt. Pleasant, and Winfield.
According to Hecox, the upper story conversation program allows for up to $40,000 for each upper story unit conversation with a maximum of four units per project.
These projects must create new housing units that remain affordable for five years to tenants under 80% of the Housing and Urban Development’s income limits.
A building owner at 201 S. Jefferson in Mt. Pleasant used $80,000 of these funds.
“The developer moved her business a couple years ago to the first floor and now she wants to put two units on the second floor,” Hecox said. “She’s going to do one two-bedroom and one three-bedroom.”
The development assistance program funds were used this last year for two Habitat for Humanity homes in Henry County.
“This is where a nonprofit or a for-profit can receive $25,000 if they want to build a new house,” Hecox said.
“ … I know Habitat is very appreciative and when we can provide that $25,000 they can get the project going quicker and it is just a lot less they have to worry about,” she said.
According to Hecox’s report, projects in Henry County received a total of $238,004 with $108,004 for owner occupied rehab, $50,000 for development funds, and $80,000 for upper story funds over the last year.
Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com
