(DES MOINES) – The Iowa Finance Authority Board of Directors today (Wednesday) approved a total of more than $7.3 million in grants to 27 Local Housing Trust Funds to support local affordable housing initiatives, which will assist 2,336 Iowa families.

In the KJAN listening area, the following entities received grants:

• The Council Bluffs Housing Trust Fund, Inc. – $180,234, for the City of Council Bluffs.
• Council of Governments Housing, Inc. – $283,273. Area served: Audubon, Carroll, Crawford, Greene, Guthrie and Sac Counties.
• Southern Iowa COG Housing Trust Fund – $275,217; Area served: Adair, Adams, Clarke, Decatur, Madison, Ringgold, Taylor and Union Counties

• Southwest Iowa Housing Trust Fund, Inc. – $350,669; Area served: Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie (excluding the city of Council Bluffs) and Shelby Counties.

The funding is provided from the State Housing Trust Fund’s Local Housing Trust Fund program. Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Dave Jamison says  “The Iowa Legislature created the Local Housing Trust Fund program to allow certified Local Housing Trust Funds the ability to efficiently fulfill unique local affordable housing needs throughout the state and these awards will do just that. The grants are leveraging an additional $4.1 million in local contributions, which is a testament to the shared dedication of meeting these vital needs.”

The grant funds will be used for initiatives such as preserving aging housing stock, subsidizing local down payment assistance programs, providing low-interest loans or grants to assist Iowans in home rehabilitation, financing construction of new single-family housing for low-income Iowans and supporting housing for persons with disabilities and homeless assistance programs.