Accepting pre-applications for housing preservation grant program

“By focusing assistance on very low and low-income residents, the Housing Preservation Grant program truly embodies the mission of Rural Development which is to ensure the best quality of life for all rural Americans,” says Doug Moss, Area Director in the Waverly area office.

The last day for the publication of the 15-day public comment period is April 27. The closing date for acceptance of pre-applications is May 13.

The HPG program provides grants to organizations to operate a program which finances repair and rehabilitation of single-family housing for very low and low income homeowners, as well as rental property owners.

Eligible applicants must be organizations as defined in applicable Rural Development instructions. Applications should indicate whether the proposal is to assist individual homeowners or rental property owners. Combined proposals will not be considered eligible and no entity can receive more than 50 percent of the state’s allocation.

Eligible repairs include, but are not limited to, installation or repair of sanitary water and waste disposal systems, insulation, repair or replacement of heating systems, electrical wiring, foundation repair or roof repair and replacement.

Each year USDA Rural Development invests around $100 million in loans and grants that provide rural Iowa residents with decent, safe and sanitary single or multi-family housing.

To request a pre-application or for more information about this or other Rural Development housing programs, call Larry Youngblut in the Rural Development office in Waverly at (319)352-1715, or visit the office at 1510 3rd Street S.W. in Waverly.

The Waverly office covers Allamakee, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek counties. Rural Development staff will gladly meet with rural residents locally in any of these counties.

USDA Rural Development has 11 offices in Iowa serving 1.9 million Iowans living in rural communities. Office locations include a State Office in Des Moines, along with Area Offices in Albia, Atlantic, Humboldt, Indianola, Iowa Falls, Le Mars, Mount Pleasant, Storm Lake, Tipton and Waverly.

USDA Rural Development's mission is to deliver programs in a way that will support increasing economic opportunity and improve the quality of life of rural residents. As a venture capital entity, Rural Development provides equity and technical assistance to finance and foster growth in homeownership, business development, and critical community and technology infrastructure.

Further information on rural programs is available at a local USDA Rural Development office or by visiting USDA’s web site at www.rurdev.usda.gov/ia.