DES MOINES, IOWA (December 3, 2025) — The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Board of Directors has announced $12.2 million in grants to 26 Local Housing Trust Funds to strengthen local housing initiatives. The awards were made through the Local Housing Trust Fund Program and are expected to benefit 2,473 families.“These grants are an essential and highly-effective resource, empowering regions to direct funds where they are needed most to meet local housing needs,” said IFA Director Debi Durham.
“The success of this program is reflected in the thousands of Iowans who now have safe, affordable homes, made possible through strong partnerships with Local Housing Trust Funds across the state.”
The grant funds will support a range of initiatives aimed at developing or preserving housing for low-income households across the spectrum of housing needs. This includes the development and preservation of housing, assistance for persons experiencing homelessness, rental assistance, homeownership support, bolstering the capacity of local housing organizations, and other efforts that directly address local housing needs.“This support advances our mission to ensure residents in Northeast Iowa have access to well-maintained, safe and affordable housing,” said Spiff Slifka, Board Chair of the Northeast Iowa Regional Housing Trust Fund (NEIRHTF).
“With much of our region’s housing stock aging, these funds are critical to preserving homes and strengthening the vitality of our communities.”
The State Housing Trust Fund helps ensure decent, safe and affordable housing for Iowans through two programs. The Local Housing Trust Fund Program receives at least sixty percent of the SHTF allocation to provide grants for organizations certified by IFA as Local Housing Trust Funds. The remaining funding supports the Project-Based Housing Program, which aids in the development of affordable single-family and multifamily housing. IFA administers both programs and provides technical assistance to housing-related organizations.
Established by the Iowa Legislature in 2003, the State Housing Trust Fund continues to play a vital role in advancing Iowa’s housing priorities. The awards announced today are expected to leverage an additional $3.6 million in other financing or approximately thirty cents for every dollar of Local Housing Trust Fund Program funding.
Since its inception, the State Housing Trust Fund has supported more than 41,400 Iowa households through the LHTF Program, investing more than $140 million and leveraging an additional $130 million in other funding to advance local housing initiatives.
The list of 2026 Local Housing Trust Fund awards is available here.
