HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-21-2025 Housing & Community Development CommissionHOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
COMMISSION (HCDC)
April 21, 2025
Regular Meeting — 6:30 PM
Emma J. Harvat Hall
410 E Washington Street (City Hall)
AGENDA:
1. Call to Order
2. Consideration of Meeting Minutes: March 24, 2025
3. Public Comment of Items not on the Agenda
Commentators shall address the commission for no more than five minutes. Commissioners
shall not engage in discussion with the public concerning said items.
4. Consider a Recommendation to Amend the HCDC By -Laws
The Commission will consider a recommendation to City Council to amend the by-laws. The
amendment includes reducing the size of the commission from nine to seven members and
would also change the number of members required to form a quorum from five to four. If
approved, the amendment will be reviewed by the City Council Rules Committee.
5. Consider a Recommendation to City Council to Discharge Commissioner
According to the Commission's by-laws, three consecutive, unexplained absences
from regular meetings will result in a recommendation to the City Council from the
Commission to discharge said member. The Commission will consider a recommendation to
City Council to discharge Daouda Balde.
6. Staff & Commission Updates
This item includes an opportunity for brief updates from staff and Commissioners.
Commissioners shall not engage in discussion on updates.
7. Adjournment
If you will need disability -related accommodations to participate in this program or event, please contact Brianna Thul at
bthul(a6owa-city.orq or 319-356-5240. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.
Next Meeting: May 19, 2025
� r
CITY OF IOWA CITY
410 East Washington Street
Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826
(319) 356-5000
(319) 356-5009 FAX
www.icgov.org
Housing and Community Development Commission
Meeting Packet Contents
April 21, 2025
Agenda Item #2
a) March 24, 2025 Draft HCDC Meeting Minutes
Agenda Item #4
a) April 14, 2025 Staff Memo — Staggering Terms if HCDC is Decreased from 9 to 7
Members
b) Draft Amendment to the By -Laws
Agenda Item #6
a) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Promotional Flyer — National Community
Development Week (April 21 — 25, 2025)
b) HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) Promotional Flyer — National
Community Development Week (April 21 — 25, 2025)
c) Recognition of Fair Housing Month (April)
Agenda Item #2
MINUTES
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
MARCH 24, 2025 — 6:30 PM
FORMAL MEETING
E M M A J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL
DRAFT
MEMBERS PRESENT: Horacio Borgen, Maryann Dennis, Amos Kiche, George Kivarkis, Kyle
Vogel
MEMBERS ABSENT: Daouda Balde, Karol Krotz
STAFF PRESENT: Erika Kubly, Brianna Thul, Sam Turnbull
OTHERS PRESENT:
RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL:
By a vote of 5-0 the Commission recommends that City Council defer additional appointments to the
Commission to allow time for the Commission to review an amendment to the by-laws.
CALL MEETING TO ORDER:
Vogel called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM.
The Commission welcomed new member Kiche.
CONSIDERATION OF MEETING MINUTES: OCTOBER 21, 2024:
Dennis moved to approve the minutes of October 21, 2024. Kivarkis seconded the motion. A vote was
taken and the minutes were approved 5-0.
PUBLIC COMMENT FOR TOPICS NOT ON THE AGENDA:
None.
DISCUSS POTENTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE HCDC BY-LAWS TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF THE
COMMISSION FROM NINE TO SEVEN MEMBERS:
Vogel gave some background on this topic, obviously the Commission hasn't been able to meet since
October from a combination of having a vacancy on the Commission and members not being able to
make scheduled meetings. Therefore, they have not been able to have a quorum. Vogel stated this
became incredibly relevant when they had Aid to Agencies work that needed to be done and
recommendations that needed to be made to Council, but since HCDC didn't meet, they couldn't make
those recommendations. One of the discussion items has been reducing the number of members from a
nine member commission to a seven member commission, so that a quorum will be four members. Vogel
noted they have been really successful in having four people be able to show up on a regular basis but
since last October it's been hard to get more.
Vogel introduced historic attendance data in the packet noting last year there was only one meeting
where eight people out of nine were able to attend, and at that time they didn't have a ninth because there
was a vacancy. Looking back to 2021 the average is six out nine members attending regular HCDC
meetings.
Housing and Community Development Commission
March 24, 2025
Page 2 of 5
Thul explained the process for the Commission to make an amendment to the bylaws. According to the
by-laws, the Commission will need to discuss it at one meeting and then would vote on the amendment at
the next meeting. If they were to vote in favor of the amendment, it would go to the City Council Rules
Committee next. Ultimately City Council decides on the amendment. She explained that today would be a
discussion and if the Commission wants to pursue the amendment, staff will add it on the next agenda. If
the Commission is not interested in an amendment, it would not be added to the next agenda.
Dennis stated with all the data that they have, it just makes sense to reduce the membership to seven.
She noted while she is not privy to know if the Council is not getting applications or why the people who
were appointed have not been able to attend. Maybe it's because the amount of work the Commission is
required to do, especially with Aid to Agencies, is huge. She stated the Director of Neighborhood and
Development Services sent out letters about lack of attendance and at least one person resigned.
Dennis stated it's not good that they haven't been able to meet since October and thinks it would be wise
to amend the bylaws.
Kivarkis agrees and noted they've delayed a couple of important votes because of it as well. He agreed
it's been easy to get four people in the room, but harder to get any more. Making an amendment, or at
least some temporary solution would help.
Vogel asked when someone submits an application to serve on a commission, do they have a rank
choice of which commission they're wanting to apply for or are they just applying to any commission and
then they're appointed to one? Thul explained each commission has its own pool of applications, but the
application lets someone select their top choice. Vogel asked if it's been an issue of people have just
been getting their second choice and that's why they aren't attending? Thul would have to look into that
specifically to get more information on that.
Thul noted currently they have seven people appointed to a nine -person commission and City Council will
be appointing two more people at an upcoming meeting. Thul explained that the Commission may
recommend that Council defer appointments, but it would be up to City Council if they decide to defer or
not. Additionally, there are three terms ending in June of this year.
Borgen stated that if there are seven people currently appointed, he feels it would be a good time to do
the amendment so there is no need to search for two additional people.
Vogel thinks it would behoove them to ask City Council to hold off appointing any new members until the
next meeting and until the Rules Committee has a chance to review.
Thul noted the last time this was considered, there were some things that the City Attorney's Office had to
look at as far as staggering the terms to make sure that they don't have too many terms ending at one
time. Staff will need to review that to determine the process if the amendment moves forward.
Kiche noted this problem seems like something that is related to the characteristic of the individuals
appointed because probably four or five years ago, the problem might have not been there. So, in that
case, it is not the problem of the numbers - it's the problem of the persons themselves. Ideally, they would
hope that could be solved by adding new persons. He noted to reduce the number of members might
introduce a new problem in terms of reducing diversity, skills, and other talents on the commission.
Sometimes one additional person might add ideas or contribute something.
Kivarkis agrees - while a quorum is important, are they disabling the ability to find more voices for the
committee in general? With two more seats they get two valuable perspectives that show up to these
meetings, which is more valuable than reducing the size of the committee.
Vogel doesn't disagree but what happens when it's time for CDBG/HOME or Aid to Agencies and they
can't have a meeting? They haven't had a meeting since October, even after an extra meeting was added
and they made it imperative to the current members that they needed people to show up. It was just the
four of them for three months that would show up. He doesn't disagree though and stated it's always nice
Housing and Community Development Commission
March 24, 2025
Page 3 of 5
to have a larger myriad of voices on any committee. The problem is there's no guarantee City Council can
appoint two more people and that it won't be the same situation they've already got, which is they don't
show up. Then they're still going through a process of two or three more months of not having meetings.
Dennis stated in her experience with this Commission, there are several months when they have
meetings and there's not a lot of what she would say is the most important work that this commission is
assigned to do. They have some meetings with presentations, but there's also a few times a year where
what they do is really important to Council, to the applicants, and to the community. That's what has
happened since October. They were not able to review and provide recommendations to Council about
the Consolidated Plan, which is a hugely important piece of whether or not this community is going to
receive federal money. Then also to have the agencies here in the room waiting to see a
recommendation from the results of the work that they did to request funding and to be told, sorry you
have to just go to Council because not enough HCDC members can be present. That leaves Council with
more work because they're not getting the recommendations from HCDC. There are certain times of the
year that these meetings are very important. Dennis stated in her experience, because she was on the
other side of this table for many years as an applicant, and in almost 30 years she never experienced
what happened in January where meetings are cancelled. She thinks they owe it to Council and the
community to follow through on what they signed up to do. If there were seven members, Council can
certainly appoint people that they think are capable and knowledgeable enough to do what this
Commission is supposed to do. She is in support of trying to reduce the number.
Dennis asked if there are other commissions on the City who have seven members. Thul doesn't have
the exact numbers for other commissions but believes Planning and Zoning has seven members.
Vogel would also argue they've not had nine voices in nearly the whole time he's been here. March of
2021 was last time they had nine people so even at the best, in the last four years, they've had eight and
even with that eight, there's been a constant rotating door of one or two members. They get three or four
months of activity and then nothing.
Dennis noted there's also a learning curve for this Commission and that's why they have the staff. The
staff are very helpful. If a member has questions, they can call the staff and they are willing to sit down
with members and talk to them about the Commission's function because there is a learning curve. It
takes time to learn things.
Kiche asked if staff is able to communicate with any habitual persons not attending. Obviously, somebody
can be sick or have an emergency, but if there's a pattern that a staff member can see — is it violating
anything to have staff have communication with that person? Thul confirmed that staff will reach out to
people who don't show up to meetings repeatedly. There are also meeting days where staff are calling
every member of the commission in the hours before the meeting to see if they have a quorum. As
Dennis mentioned, the Director of Neighborhood and Development Services also sent a letter to several
people who were missing meetings to acknowledge how important attendance is and to also note that if
they couldn't fulfill the attendance obligations, to maybe consider resigning from the Commission. Another
thing staff has been working on is the scope and the level of work for this Commission. As Vogel noted for
Aid to Agencies, staff do realize it can be an enormous amount of material. Staff are working on making
things easier for Commissioners.
Dennis moved to recommend that City Council defer additional appointments to the Commission
to allow time for the Commission to review the amendment to the by-laws. Kiche seconded. A vote
was taken, and the motion passed 5-0.
STAFF & COMMISSION UPDATES:
Turnbull gave an update related to Aid to Agencies. The Legacy Agencies submit quarterly reports in the
United Way portal and she pulled the data from those reports and summarized it in a table. The table
allows Commissioners to see what those agencies had set as their goals for the services for the current
fiscal year and what they have achieved to date. The Non -Legacy Agencies submit a paper form twice a
Housing and Community Development Commission
March 24, 2025
Page 4 of 5
year and Turnbull summarized those data points in the table as well. Turnbull did this to provide more
information to the Commission in a digestible way. She noted the agencies also submit narrative reports
to the City. Kivarkis thanked Turnbull for the report.
Thul stated that the only other thing in the packet was correspondence from Escucha Mi Voz. They were
a recipient of Non -Legacy funds and provided an update to share with the Commission.
Vogel asked if City Council voted on the Aid to Agencies recommendations for FY26 yet. Thul stated
they have not, and that staff are in the process of preparing a third set of staff recommendations to share
with City Council. Staff anticipate those being submitted to City Council in April. When they are included
in the information packet, she will forward those to HCDC and to the applicants.
ADJOURNMENT:
Kivarkis moved to adjourn. Dennis seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 5-0.
4
Housing and Community Development Commission
March 24, 2025
Page 5 of 5
Housing and Community
Development Commission
Attendance Record 2023-2025
Name
Terms Exp.
10/19
11/16
3/21
4/18
5/16
6/13
8/19
9/16
10/21
3/24
Balde, Daouda
6/30/27
--
--
--
--
--
--
A
A
P
A
Borgen, Horacio
6/30/25
--
--
A
A
P
P
P
A
A
P
Dennis, Maryann
6/30/25
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
Kiche, Amos
6/30/25
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
P
Kivarkis, George
6/30/27
--
--
--
--
--
--
P
P
A
P
Krotz, Karol
6/30/27
P
P
A
A
P
P
A
P
P
A
Patel, Kiran
6/30/26
A
P
A
A
P
P
P
P
P
Pierce, James
6/30/26
P
P
A
P
P
P
A
P
A
Szecsei, Denise
6/30/25
--
P
P
P
P
A
P
A
P
Vogel, Kyle
6/30/26
A
P
P
P
A
A
P
P
P
P
Key:
P = Present
A = Absent
= Resigned
-- = Vacant
Agenda Item #4
r
�ter CITY OF IOWA CITY
k
MEMORANDUM
DATE: APRIL 14, 2025
TO: HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CIFM
SSION
FROM: SUSAN DULEK, FIRST ASS'T. CITY ATTORNEY
RE: STAGGERING TERMS IF HCDC IS DECREASED 9 TO 7 MEMBERS
Introduction.
The purpose of this memo is to provide an option on how to stagger terms if HCDC recommends to City
Council decreasing membership from 9 members to 7 members. Staggered terms are important to ensure
HCDC can retain experienced volunteers on a rolling basis, and all standing City boards and
commissions have staggered terms.
Discussion.
The current bylaws provide for 3-year terms, and 3 members are appointed every June. When HCDC
was initially formed, 3 members were appointed to 1-year terms, 3 to 2-year terms, and 3 to 3-year terms
in order to stagger the terms. HCDC currently has 9 members with terms expiring as follows:
Three commissioners with terms ending in 2025:
• Dennis ends 6/30/25
• Borgen ends 6/30/25
• Kiche ends 6/30/25
Three commissioners with terms ending in 2026:
• Vogel ends 6/30/26
• Vacant
• Vacant
Three commissioners with terms ending in 2027:
• Kivarkis ends 6/30/27
• Krotz ends 6/3027
• Balde ends 6/30/27
This memo describes how to stagger 3-year terms of a 7-member commission beginning July 1, 2025.
1
Recommendation for Staggering 7 Members.
Scenario if Commissioner Balde remains on the Commission
Effective 7/l/25----
Two commissioners with terms beginning 7/1/25 and ending 6/30/28:
• New appointment (standard 3-year term)
• New appointment (standard 3-year term)
Three commissioners with terms ending in 6/30/26:
• Vogel
• New appointment (appointed 7/1/25 to a 1-year term ending 6/30/26)
Two commissioners with terms ending in 6/30/27:
• Kivarkis
• Krotz
• Balde
Under this scenario, there would be 7 members as of 7/1/25, including the 4 current members whose
terms expire in 2026 and 2027 (Kivarkis, Krotz, Balde, and Vogel). The remaining 3 members would
be 2 new members appointed for 3-year terms from 7/l/25 to 6/30/28 and 1 new member appointed for a
1-year term from 7/1/25 to 6/30/26 to expire with Vogel's term.
Those with terms expiring 6/30/25 may reapply for the Commission.
Scenario if Commissioner Balde does not remain on the Commission
Effective 7/l/25----
Three commissioners with terms beginning 7/l/25 and ending 6/30/28:
• New appointment (standard 3-year term)
• New appointment (standard 3-year term)
• New appointment (standard 3-year term)
Two commissioners with terms ending in 6/30/26:
• Vogel
• New appointment (appointed 7/l/25 to a one-year term ending 6/30/26)
Two commissioners with terms ending in 6/30/27:
• Kivarkis
• Krotz
2
Under this scenario, there would be 7 members as of 7/l/25, including the 3 current members whose
terms expire in 2026 and 2027 (Kivarkis, Krotz, and Vogel). The remaining 4 members would be 3 new
members appointed for 3-year terms from 7/l/25 to 6/30/28 and 1 new member appointed for a 1-year
term from 7/l/25 to 6/30/26 to expire with Vogel's term.
Those with terms expiring 6/30/25 may reapply for the Commission.
Council Action on Bylaws.
The City Charter requires that Board/Commission bylaw amendments are not effective until City
Council approves them. If HCDC approves an amendment, the recommendation will be forwarded to
City Council for consideration.
Conclusion.
If HCDC desires to decrease its membership from 9 to 7, my advice is to stagger appointments 2/2/3.
This memo simply outlines one way to do so. Certainly HCDC can recommend a different scenario. I
plan on attending the April 21 meeting to answer any questions you may have about the bylaws process
and this memo.
Copy to: Brianna Thul, Sr. Planner
Erika Kubly, Neighborhood Services Coordinator
3
Agenda Item #4
BY-LAWS
ARTICLE 1 THE COMMISSION
Section A. The name of the Commission is the Housing and Community Development Commission
of Iowa City, Iowa, as established by Resolution No. 95-199 of the City Council of Iowa City,
Iowa, pursuant to Chapter 403A, Code of Iowa (1995).
ARTICLE 2 PURPOSE
Section A. The purpose of the Commission is to assess Iowa City's community development needs
for housing, jobs, and services for low and moderate income residents, and to promote public and
private efforts to meet such needs.
ARTICLE 3 DUTIES
Section A. Duties of the Commission shall include: 1) assess and review policies and planning
documents related to the provision of housing, jobs, and services, for low and moderate income
residents of Iowa City; 2) review policies and programs of the Pie Iowa City Housing Authority
and Community Development Division and make recommendations regarding the same to the City
Council; 3) review and make recommendations to the City Council regarding the use of public
funds to meet the needs of low and moderate income residents; 4) actively publicize community
development and housing policies and programs, and seek public participation in assessing needs
and identifying strategies to meet these needs; 5) recommend to the City Council from time to time
amendments, supplements, changes, and modifications to the Iowa City Housing Code.
ARTICLE 4 MEMBERSHIP
Section A. The Housing and Community Development Commission shall consist of -seven
(97) members appointed by the City Council of Iowa City. All members shall be qualified electors
of the City of Iowa City, Iowa, and shall serve as such without compensation but shall be entitled
to the necessary expenses, including traveling expenses incurred in the discharge of their duties.
Section B. In order to satisfy the purpose and intent of this commission, when possible, at least one
person shall be appointed to the Housing and Community Development Commission with expertise
in construction, at least one person with expertise in finance, at least one person with nonprofit
management experience, and at least one person with property management experience. In
addition, when possible, the Commission shall include one person who receives rental assistance.
Appointments shall take into consideration persons of various racial, religious, cultural, social, and
economic groups in the city.
Section C. The term of office for each member shall be three (3) years except as set forth in
Resolution No. 24-. in or-def to ensure a staggered turnover when transitioning from nine (9)
members to seven (7) members in 2025., initial appointments shall be three «' momefs for- ee
of one, two, and thfeeyeafs Fespeetiveb
Section D. The Chairperson and Vice -Chairperson will be elected annually (in July) from the
Commission membership. The Chairperson shall, when present, preside at all meetings, appoint
sub -committees with the approval of the Commission, call special meetings and in general perform
all duties included in the office of a Chairperson and such other duties as may be prescribed by the
members from time to time. The Vice -Chairperson shall take over the above duties of the
Chairperson in the event of the Chairperson's absence.
Section E. Three (3) consecutive, unexplained absences of a member from regular meetings will
result in a recommendation to the City Council from the Commission to discharge said member
and appoint a new member.
Section F. If a position becomes vacant by reason of resignation or otherwise and results in an
unexpired term the Council may choose to fill the unexpired term in such a manner that the
appointee shall continue in the position not only through the unexpired term but also through a
subsequent regular term.
ARTICLE 5 MEETINGS
Section A. Meetings of this Commission shall be on a regular monthly basis. A meeting date and
time will be established by the Commission. A regular meeting may be cancelled if no urgent
business requires a meeting.
Section B. Special meetings of the Commission may be called by the Chairperson and shall be
called by the Chairperson at the request of a majority of the membership.
Section C. Meetings shall be held in an accessible, public meeting place. Notices of meetings
(agenda) for all regular and special meetings shall be posted and distributed to members and the
media at least 24 hours before any meeting is held. All provisions of the State Open Meetings Law
shall be followed. The Chairperson or a designated representative, together with appropriate
members of the City staff shall prepare an agenda for all meetings. Agendas shall be sent mailed
or emailed to Commission members at least three (3) days prior to the regular meetings.
Section D. A majority of the members of the Commission (five -four or more) shall constitute a
quorum of any meeting and the majority of votes cast at any meeting, at which a quorum is present,
shall be decisive of any motion or election.
Section E. There shall be no vote by proxy.
Section F. Time shall be made available during all regular meetings for open public discussion.
Section G. Minutes of all meetings shall be prepared and distributed to the City Council within
three (3) weeks of the meeting in the manner prescribed by the Council. Minutes of all regular and
special meetings will be mailed or emailed to all the Commission members during the week prior
to the next meeting. Specific recommendations for the Council shall be set off from the main body
of the minutes.
ARTICLE 6 AMENDMENTS
Section A. The By -Laws of the Commission shall be amended only with the approval of at least a
majority of the Commission (at least fie -four votes) at a regular meeting or a special meeting.
Section B. Policy changes or By -Law changes may be adopted at the meeting following the
meeting at which open discussion was conducted on the specific changes.
Approved in Resolution No. 25-
CDBG in Action
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City invests CDBG funds on high -impact projects.
..............................................................................................................
Affordable Housing • Down payment assistance for first time homebuyers.
•
Preservation of the existing housing stock through
rehabilitation.
•
Renovations for senior housing including accessibility
improvements.
•
Development of low -barrier shelters and housing.
.........................................................................................................................................
•
Post -disaster replacement housing.
Economic
.........................................................................................................................................
•
Loans to grow small businesses and create jobs.
Development
•
Technical assistance for microenterprises.
.......................................................................................................................................:
•
Grants for small businesses impacted by COVID-19.
Infrastructure
..........................................................................................................................................
•
Neighborhood amenities including parks, trails, and sport
facilities.
........................................................................................................................................:
•
Sidewalk and safety improvements.
Public Facilities &
.........................................................................................................................................
•
.
Improvements to nonprofit facilities including neighborhood
Services
centers, child cares, medical facilities, food bank, and homeless
shelter.
•
Operational funding for shelters including those that serve
..........................................................................................................................................
victims of domestic violence.
Successful CDBG Projects in Iowa City
.......................................................................................................................................................................................
24 Units of Permanent Construction for child care Acquisition & facility
Supportive Housing & neighborhood center improvements
$25,000 CDBG $150,000 CDBG $340,772 CDBG
44' �#
7
........................................................... ::...........................................................
..............................................................
........................................................
Up to $25,000 in assistance
for home repairs.
$235,000 annually
..................................................................................................................
Up to $25,000 in assistance New construction of a 70-
for new homeowners. bed emergency shelter
$378,000 $541,228
:................................................................................................................
CDBG Talking Points
• CDBG provides funding to meet community needs including infrastructure improvements, job
creation, affordable housing, and more.
• Projects funded with CDBG served over 3,200 Iowa City residents in FY2024.
• Regular annual funding provides jobs for construction trades.
• CDBG housing rehab programs help build contractor capacity including lead and radon
mitigation.
• Iowa City's FY2024 CDBG award of $731,206 leveraged over $2.4 million in other funds.
Private Sector Success with CDBG
Two local businesses that received CDBG funds early on recently celebrated their 20th
anniversaries in Iowa City. Oasis Falafel and Deluxe Bakery both received Iowa City's CDBG small
business assistance and have had continued success in the community.
Oasis Falafel
CDBG for Disaster Recovery
DeLuxe Bakery
Iowa City received CDBG-DR funds to build 40 new single-family homes after the 2008 flood.
• As a longtime recipient of CDBG funds, Iowa City used its local
capacity to respond after the worst flooding the Iowa River had
seen in decades.
• Experienced city staff and local contractors were able to work
quickly to buy out flood impacted properties and develop
replacement housing using CDBG-DR funds.
HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
Iowa City, Iowa
&�T
The HOME Investment
Partnerships Program (HOME) Is
a federal program that provides
grants to states and localities to
create affordable housing for low-
income individuals and families.
HOME plays a vital role in
expanding affordable housing in
Iowa City.
Rental
Acquisition
The Housing Fellowship
acquires property to
lease as affordable
housing for income
eligible tenants
Downpayment
Assistance
The City of Iowa City
partners with Habitat
and local banks to
provide affordable
homeownership
opportunities
'
Rental New
Construction
Shelter House builds
new affordable rental
units that are leased as
permanent supportive
housing
Before
After
400219
Housing
Rehab
The Housing Fellowship
rehabilitates existing
units to maintain the
affordable housing
stock
HOME Highlights
• $450,000 awarded in downpayment assistance to 21 homeowners below
80% of Area Median Income through partnerships with GreenState Credit
Union, Hills Bank, and Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity since 2022.
• $300,000 invested in new construction of Shelter House's 501 Project that
provided 36 units of affordable rental housing with supportive services for
people below 30% of Area Median Income that were formerly experiencing
homelessness.
• Over $1 million invested in 8 affordable rental projects undertaken by a
Community Housing Development Organization since 2021.
• For projects completed in the last two fiscal years, every $1 of City HOME
funds leveraged $7 from other sources.
Program Spotlight: Iowa
City South District Program
The South District Program is an effort by the City
of Iowa City to encourage reinvestment in the
South District area and to create affordable
homeownership opportunities for current
neighborhood residents. The City purchases and
rehabilitates duplex units with local funds and sells
the units for affordable homeownership with HOME
downpayment assistance.
Seven homes have been successfully sold through
the program to buyers with income below 80% of.
Area Median Income. About $160,0000 of HOME
has been provided for downpayment assistance to
date through the South District Program.
--
Before
ti
Testimonial from first buyer in the South District Program
I've been worried for over a decade about my mother's vulnerability to becoming homeless, physically struggling to
maintain full time work to pay rent at age 79 and my inability to do anything to help her! I also feared being in the same
situation myself as rent continues to increase faster than my SSDI income. I had no expectation of being able to
purchase a home with an income of just V3,000 per year. My new housing cost has been reduced from $675 per month
in rent to just $400 for the new mortgage and property tax. In addition, my mom now shares the home with me and
doesn't have to worry about any mortgage or rent, saving her $700 per month! This program has lifted that huge burden
of work and worry from both of us!"
Brianna Thul
From: City of Iowa City: Do Not Reply <CityoflowaCity@public.govdelivery.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 1, 2025 10:02 AM
To: Brianna Thul
Subject: Human Rights Commission recognizes National Fair Housing Month
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°t°f 10WACITY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 04/01 /2025
Contact: Stefanie Bowers, Human Rights Coordinator
Phone: 319-356-5022
Human Rights Commission recognizes National Fair Housing
Month
of
n
April is National Fair Housing Month and the City's Human Rights Commission is recognizing the
month in a variety of ways.
1
• Utility bills will include an insert explaining fair housing rights.
• An instructional video that is eligible for certification of one hour of fair housing training is
available 24/7 online.
The Fair Housing Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1968, one
week after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King had been in Memphis to support the
sanitation workers strike when he was assassinated.
The Iowa City Human Rights Ordinance has prohibited discrimination in housing since 1964. Equal
opportunity for all - regardless of age, color, creed, disability, familial status, gender identity, marital
status, national origin, presence or absence of dependents, public assistance source of income,
race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation - is a fundamental goal of the City.
Equal access to housing is an important component of this goal - as fundamental as the right to
equal education and employment. Ongoing education, outreach, and monitoring are key to raising
awareness of fair housing principles, practices, rights and responsibilities. Only through continued
cooperation, commitment, and support of all Iowa City residents can barriers to fair housing be
removed.
If you feel you have experienced discrimination in housing based on your age, color, creed,
disability, gender identity, marital status, familial status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual
orientation, presence or absence of dependents, or public assistance source of income, please call
319-356-5015 or email humanrights(allowa-city.orq to learn more.
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