State Revolving Fund Assists Communities with Water Quality Projects

 

 

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State Revolving Fund Assists Cities with Moving Water Quality Projects Forward

 

Des Moines - Fifteen Iowa cities will benefit from a combined total of more than $9.1 million in low-cost water quality loans through the State Revolving Fund. State Revolving Fund Construction Loans are a low-cost construction financing option available for Iowa cities and municipalities for water quality initiatives. Planning & Design Loans are zero percent loans that assist with the first-phase of project expenses. The Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources jointly administer the State Revolving Fund in Iowa.

"The State Revolving Fund provided low-cost financing for water quality infrastructure improvements benefiting one million Iowans in last fiscal year alone." said Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Dave Jamison. "The fifteen Iowa cities that most recently received low-cost financing join more than 500 other Iowa cities in recognizing the State Revolving Fund as their best choice for financing of their water quality initiatives."

"Quality water is fundamental to protecting Iowans' health as well as Iowa's natural resources," said Iowa Department of Natural Resources Director Chuck Gipp. "The State Revolving Fund is an important resource for Iowa communities as they face a wide-array of water quality improvement needs."

The State Revolving Fund has awarded Iowa communities and municipalities more than $2.5 billion in Construction Loans and $130 million through Planning & Design Loans since the program's inception.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides annual capitalization grants to states. Leveraged bonds and loan repayments expand the reach of the federal investment. More than $3.00 in assistance has been leveraged for Iowa water quality projects for every $1.00 of federal funds.

More information is available at IowaSRF.com.

The Iowa Legislature created The Iowa Finance Authority in 1975 to undertake programs to assist in the attainment of low- and moderate-income Iowans. IFA also administers the State Revolving Fund (SRF) in partnership with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The SRF assists communities with the costs of upgrading or constructing local wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects.

 

Recent Loan Recipients:

 

Loan Recipient

County

Amount

Project Type

Contact

Newhall

Benton

$2,671,000

Sewer Treatment Improvements

Keri Touro: 319-223-5709

Aplington

Butler

$1,020,000

Drinking Water Storage

Deb Prier: 319-347-2425

Granger

Dallas, Polk

$406,000

Storm Water Runoff, Stream Restoration, Sponsored Project

Kristy Trzeciak: 515-999-2210

Ryan

Delaware

$282,000

Drinking Water Well

Natalie Tucker: 563-932-2051

Wahpeton

Dickinson

$107,500

Drinking Water - Planning & Design

Bonnie Roberts: 712-337-3522

Dike

Grundy

$200,000

Sewer - Planning & Design

Patti Freese: 319-989-2291

Little Sioux

Harrison

$102,000

Drinking Water Treatment Improvements

DeEtte West: 712-649-2211

Spragueville

Jackson

$250,000

Sewer Treatment Improvements

Elizabeth Portz: 563-689-6162

Letts

Louisa

$600,000

Sewer Infiltration & Inflow Corrections

Karen Koope: 319-726-3251

Winterset

Madison

$1,400,000

Sewer Treatment Improvements

Mark Nitchals: 515-462-1422

Osage

Mitchell

$96,500

Sewer - Planning & Design

Cathy Penney: 641-732-3709

Harris

Osceola

$192,000

Sewer - Planning & Design

Holly Wilson: 712-832-0094

Underwood

Pottawattamie

$313,000

Sewer Lift Station & Force Main

Jill Willard: 712-566-2373

Tama

Tama

$1,037,000

Sewer Infiltration & Inflow Corrections

Judy Welch: 641-484-3822

Blakesburg

Wapello

$450,000

Sewer Infiltration & Inflow Corrections

Roberta Leffler: 641-938-2413



$9,127,000

State Program Offers $5,000 Down Payment Grants to Service Members and Veterans

 

Des Moines - Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds joined state officials today to announce that the Military Homeownership Assistance program has assisted nearly 3,400 military service members and veterans purchase a home in Iowa. The program is jointly administered by the Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs and funding is appropriated by the Iowa Legislature.

The Military Homeownership Assistance Program provides eligible service members with a $5,000 grant that may be used towards down payment and closing costs to purchase a home located in Iowa.

"More than 800 veterans have already been matched with jobs in our state through the Home Base Iowa initiative, with the opportunity for us to welcome thousands more. A key component in the transition to civilian life for these veterans is making their own permanent home right here in Iowa and this program will help them to achieve that goal," said Governor Branstad.

"Our efforts to match veterans and their spouses with quality careers in Iowa are working. With the Iowa Finance Authority's work to assist veterans in making a down payment on a home, we believe even more veterans will make our great state their home base," said Lt. Governor Reynolds.

When combined with the Iowa Finance Authority's other down payment assistance programs, eligible service members could receive a total of up to $7,500 in grant funds toward the purchase of a home. In fiscal year 2014, the program assisted 423 military service members and their families to fulfill their dream of homeownership.

"Upon my return from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, my wife and I started looking for a house in Osceola, where I now serve as a reserve Sheriff's Deputy and volunteer firefighter," said tenured military veteran Sergeant Byron Jimmerson. "We were excited to discover that we qualified for IFA's Military Homeownership Assistance Grant Program to help with the down payment. The grant helped ease the financial cost of owning a home, especially with the anticipated expenses of starting a family."

"The Military Homeownership Assistance Program was created by the Iowa Legislature in an effort to foster affordable homeownership opportunities for service members," said Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Dave Jamison. "Down payment assistance is a valuable resource and it affords service members and veterans an avenue to conduct civilian life in a permanent, stable home in Iowa."

 

"The Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs' mission is to assist veterans with obtaining services and benefits that they are entitled to.  We are also concerned about the successful reintegration of veterans into civilian life and the community," said Colonel Robert King, Executive Director, Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs. "The Military Homeownership Assistance Program is an excellent program that directly impacts qualified veterans' ability to purchase a home. We are extremely pleased with the response of veterans requesting this program."

The Military Homeownership Assistance Program has provided more than $15.4 million in funding to support approximately 3,400 military service members and their families since the program's inception in 2005. Availability of funding for this program is subject to annual state appropriation and funds are made available on a first-come, first-served basis. More information about the program is available at IowaFinanceAuthority.gov.

The Iowa Legislature created the Iowa Finance Authority in 1975 to undertake programs to assist in the attainment of housing for low-and moderate-income Iowans.

# # #

When a House Becomes a Home contest held in conjunction with national homeownership month

 

DES MOINES - The Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Association of Realtors® announced today that they are challenging Iowans to share their homeownership success stories for a chance to win a $5,000 gift card.  The challenge comes as a part of a new contest called "When a House becomes a Home". Entries will be accepted throughout the month of June in conjunction with national homeownership month.

To participate, Iowans need to submit a story of how their lives have been positively impacted by homeownership in 140 words or less.  An accompanying photo or 30 second video to support the entry is encouraged. Fun, touching or entertaining homeownership stories can be submitted at: IowaFinanceAuthority.gov/Contest through June 30.

Submissions will be scored by a panel of judges and the top 10 submissions will be posted to Facebook for voting by the public from July 7-11 at Facebook.com/IowaFinance. The entry with the most votes will receive a $5,000 Lowe's gift card.

A "surprise squad" will also be traveling the state and providing random prize awards to entrants throughout the month of June, while spreading awareness of homeownership opportunities in Iowa.

Entries may include such things as the story of a young couple who is about to purchase their first home,  how a military family made a house a permanent home after deployment or detailing how homeownership has opened the door to new opportunities. Iowans are encouraged to share their unique homeownership stories!

"Recognizing Iowa homeowners and celebrating their success stories is a fitting way to mark national homeownership month while promoting the far-reaching benefits of homeownership. It also gives us a chance to highlight resources available through IFA to help make the homeownership dream a reality," said Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Dave Jamison. "We encourage Iowa home buyers and homeowners alike to share their stories for a chance to win!"

"The Iowa Association of Realtors® nearly 6,400 Realtor® members across the state are professionals who follow a strict code of ethical guidelines and help Iowans realize their home owning dreams every day," said Dave Bert, CEO of the Iowa Association of Realtors®. "We are pleased to offer this new, exciting contest to Iowans and look forward to seeing the creative entries."

# # #

IowaHousingSearch.org lets users list and search for rental housing in Iowa for FREE

DES MOINES - The Iowa Finance Authority today announced the launch of IowaHousingSearch.org, a free housing locator web site that gives renters, landlords, housing professionals, and social service providers access to real-time rental housing information. The web site already has approximately 20,000 rental units listed representing 250 Iowa landlords and continues to grow rapidly. The project is powered by Socialserve.com, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to affordable housing across the nation.

 

IowaHousingSearch.org offers landlords free advertising for their properties, including critically needed affordable and accessible units, while helping renters find housing to fit their specific needs. Listings are linked to interactive maps and can include pictures and information about nearby amenities such as parks, schools and hospitals. Special features for renters include quick links to housing resources as well as rent-affordability and moving-cost calculators.

"IowaHousingSearch.org will provide a fast and easy way to locate rental housing information and related resources," said Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Dave Jamison. "This tool will also be a valuable asset for property owners and a great resource for our communities."

IowaHousingSearch.org is also a powerful resource during times of disaster, putting current housing information at the fingertips of disaster victims. "IowaHousingSearch.org sets an excellent example for disaster preparedness with a proactive approach to identifying and listing emergency rental housing," said Pat Hall, Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Recovery Division Administrator. "When a crisis causes housing loss in Iowa, this resource will be in place and ready to quickly help displaced individuals. IowaHousingSearch.org will give us the tools we need to find available replacement housing throughout the state."

To list or search for housing on IowaHousingSearch.org, go online at IowaHousingSearch.org any time, or call a toll-free, bilingual call center at 1.877.428.8844, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time.

# # #

New Service to Link Renters with Available Units

 

Des Moines - A unique new rental housing locator service, IowaHousingSearch.org is now available for Iowa landlords to list units at no cost. The web site is supported by a toll-free call center and is designed to give renters, landlords, housing professionals and social service providers access to detailed information about real-time rental housing vacancies. The service will launch for public use in January.

IowaHousingSearch.org offers all Iowa landlords, including those with critically needed affordable, accessible and special-needs housing, a free way to advertise properties while helping renters easily find units to fit specific needs. IowaHousingSearch.org will also be a vital tool during times of emergency, providing up-to-date housing information for displaced disaster victims and assistance organizations.

"Iowa has approximately 330,000 rental units," said Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Dave Jamison. "The IowaHousingSearch.org site will provide a critical link between thousands of rental units and Iowans looking for them. I encourage all rental property providers to list their rental units on IowaHousingSearch.org as soon as possible."

IowaHousingSearch.org offers landlords 24-hour access to managing, adding and updating property listings. Detailed listings let landlords highlight amenities and special features, and landlords can use the property search feature to make neighborhood and pricing comparisons. Listings can include pictures, maps and extensive information about accessibility features and nearby amenities such as parks, schools and hospitals.

 

To begin listing on IowaHousingSearch.org, Iowa property providers can register online at IowaHousingSearch.org or by phone at 1.877.428.8844.

For more information, visit IowaHousingSearch.org or call 1.877.428.8844 (Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Central Time) to speak with a representative. The service is funded by the Iowa Finance Authority.

 

The Iowa Legislature created The Iowa Finance Authority, the state's housing finance agency, in 1975 to undertake programs to assist in the attainment of housing for low and moderate-income Iowans.

 

 

# # #

Communities of Anamosa, Anita, Blairsburg, Bonaparte, Callender, Cascade, Clarion, Clinton, Colfax, Dakota City, Fairfield, Grimes, Hancock, Keokuk, Lowden, Massena, Mingo, Mount Ayr, New Hartford, Shenandoah Sioux City and Wapello to move water quality projects forward

Des Moines - The Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources today announced that twenty-two Iowa communities will benefit from a combined total of more than $34.7 million in low-cost water quality loans through the State Revolving Fund. State Revolving Fund Construction Loans are a low-cost construction financing option available for Iowa cities and municipalities for water quality initiatives. Planning & Design Loans are zero percent loans that assist with the first-phase of project expenses.

"The Iowa Finance Authority is proud to work in partnership with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to administer the State Revolving Fund," said Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Dave Jamison. "Together we have assisted more than 500 Iowa communities to bridge the gap between needed infrastructure improvements and affordable financing.  The revolving aspect of this fund means we can look forward to helping many more communities reach their water quality goals."

"Large and small and rural and urban communities all across Iowa face a large variety of water quality needs," said Iowa Department of Natural Resources Director Chuck Gipp. "Hundreds of Iowa communities have utilized the State Revolving Fund for low-cost financing to help them address those unique needs."

The State Revolving Fund has awarded Iowa communities and municipalities more than $2.1 billion in Construction Loans and $125 million through Planning & Design Loans since program inception. The loans are made available as part of the State Revolving Fund. For more information on Planning & Design Loans, as well as other State Revolving Fund programs, visit IowaSRF.com.

The Iowa Legislature created the Iowa Finance Authority, the state's housing finance agency, in 1975 to undertake programs to assist in the attainment of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income Iowans. IFA also administers the State Revolving Fund (SRF) in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The SRF assists communities with the costs of upgrading or constructing local wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects.

Recent Loan Recipients:

Loan Recipient

County

Amount

Project Type

Description

Contact

New Hartford

Butler

$81,000

Drinking Water Construction

Water Meter Replacement

Shawna Hagen: 319-983-2548

Anita

Cass

$1,065,000

Clean Water Construction

Infiltration & Inflow Corrections

Lindsay Jahde: 712-762-3746

Anita Municipal Utilities

Cass

$102,500

Planning & Design

Planning & Design

Merlin Scarf: 712-762-3845

Massena

Cass

$445,000

Clean Water Construction

Infiltration & Inflow Corrections

Meradith Lung: 712-779-2295

Lowden

Cedar

$65,000

Planning & Design

Planning & Design

Peggy Kedley: 563-941-7705

Clinton

Clinton

$6,550,000

Clean Water Construction

Pump Station

Jessica Kinser: 563-242-7545

Grimes

Dallas/Polk

$2,432,000

Drinking Water Construction

New Well

Kelley Brown: 515-986-3036

Cascade

Dubuque

$400,000

Planning & Design

Planning & Design

Tim Long: 563-852-3114

Shenandoah

Fremont, Page

$14,057,000

Drinking Water Construction

New Treatment Plant & Water Main

Mary Smith: 712-246-4411

Blairsburg

Hamilton

$265,000

Clean Water Construction

Infiltration & Inflow Corrections

Patricia Jacobson: 515-325-6244

Dakota City

Humboldt

$600,000

Clean Water Construction

Infiltration & Inflow Corrections

Angelique Berry: 515-332-3083

Colfax

Jasper

$1,109,000

Clean Water Construction

Treatment & I/I Improvements

Kathy Mathews: 515-674-4096

Mingo

Jasper

$360,000

Clean Water Construction

Infiltration & Inflow Corrections

Sondra Kenney: 641-363-4441

Fairfield

Jefferson

$500,000

Planning & Design

Planning & Design

Kevin Flanagan: 641-472-6193

Anamosa

Jones

$2,020,000

Drinking Water Construction

Storage & Water Mains

Alan Johnson: 319-462-6055

Keokuk

Lee

$452,500

Planning & Design

Planning & Design

Mark Bousselot: 319-524-2050

Wapello

Louisa

$393,000

Clean Water Construction

Infiltration & Inflow Corrections

Mike Delzell: 319-523-4091

Hancock

Pottawattamie

$98,910

Planning & Design

Planning & Design

Kimberly Gress: 712-741-5665

Mount Ayr

Ringgold

$378,000

Drinking Water Construction

Rural Water Connection

Pamella Poore: 641-464-2402

Bonaparte

Van Buren

$435,000

Drinking Water Construction

Water Mains

Nancy Nelson: 319-592-3400

Callender

Webster

$600,000

Clean Water Construction

Infiltration & Inflow Corrections

Denita Lee-Luke: 515-548-3859

Sioux City

Woodbury

$2,100,000

Drinking Water Construction

UV Treatment

Jade Dundas: 712-279-6957

Clarion

Wright

$250,000

Planning & Design

Planning & Design

Rochelle Pohlman: 515-532-2847

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