Affordable Housing – Vital for Iowa Communities

Affordable Housing – Vital for Iowa Communities

By Carolann Jensen, Chief Programs Officer, Iowa Finance Authority

At the core of every Iowa community you’ll find teachers, police officers, grocers, paramedics and retirees. Tree-lined neighborhoods throughout our state are mixed with young professionals, families and grandparents…all of whom need access to housing within a reasonable commute to their job, school or healthcare and….of course family, friends and fun.

The value of housing in which Iowans can afford goes well beyond meeting the basic human need of shelter.  Communities with adequate affordable housing benefit from improved educational, health and economic outcomes from the vast ripple effects that having an affordable place to call home has on families.

For more than 40 years, the Iowa Finance Authority has made financing for affordable housing possible for home and community through thousands of partnerships with developers, lenders, Realtors® and communities.

We offer programs that help developers build and preserve affordable rental homes for Iowa families and seniors. We also offer mortgage programs and down payment assistance through a network of participating lenders which allow first-time and repeat home buyers the opportunity to plant roots in their community.

We’re proud of our work in enhancing the quality of life for Iowans, but we do not do it alone. We provide the affordable financing necessary so that our partners can do what they do so well – develop a home for a family, provide expert real estate advice to a first time home buyer or assist a family with closing a loan on a house they’ll call home.

The Iowa Finance Authority hosts an annual HousingIowa Conference, which is Iowa’s premier housing event to celebrate the successes of these partners,  discuss timely affordable housing topics, learn from best practices, address challenges and examine what’s next for the housing industry in Iowa.  Anyone interested in learning more about affordable housing in Iowa is welcome to register and attend.

The 2017 HousingIowa Conference will be held Sept. 6-8 at the DoubleTree in Cedar Rapids. Sessions will be offered in five areas of interest: Affordable Rental, Homeownership, Homelessness, Affordable Housing Development and Leadership. More information and registration is available at: HousingIowaConference.com

 Carolann Jensen, Chief Programs Officer, Iowa Finance Authority

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