(Radio Iowa) – U-S-D-A Rural Development is funding two rural Iowa projects to repair and rehabilitate housing. Iowa Rural Development director, Theresa Greenfield, says the funding is through the Housing Preservation Grant program. “Its goal really is to get some dollars into the local communities so that they can make upgrades to some of the housing stock throughout their communities,” she says. The Region 12 Council of Governments received a grant of nearly 102-thousand dollars ( $101,663) to help rehabilitate housing that is owned and occupied by very-low income people in rural Audubon, Carroll, Crawford, Greene, and Sac counties. New Hampton received a 61-thousand-dollar grant

“It’s just one of a few ways that we help support rural communities with housing,” Greenfield says. “We also provide direct home mortgage loans to low and very low income Iowans. We have no down payment, we have really low interest rates.” Greenfield says they have other help for those who need to fix up their homes. “We do offer 10-thousand dollar grants to our seniors and very low income Iowans so they can make repairs to their home and stay in their home. And I’ll tell you, as I travel the state, that doesn’t really matter what little town I’m in, but I was just in Moltan, and talk to some of their community leadership. And they were excited to hear about this grant opportunity because their parents and their grandparents, they want to stay in their hometown,” she says. Greenfield says the money can be used in a variety of ways.

“Fix windows there, or remodel a bathroom if it needs to become more accessible, or replace a furnace. Or anything really, that can help make that home repair that home so folks can stay in their home,” Greenfield says. Greenfield says they have ten area offices around the state and you can reach out to one of those U-S-D-A offices if you are interested in the grant program.