Board approves county matching funds for Great River Housing Trust Fund grant application

Des Moines County supervisors voted Sept. 30 to approve a resolution authorizing county matching funds for an upcoming Great River Housing Trust Fund grant application for fiscal year 2027.

County staff said the program has operated for more than a decade and supports down-payment assistance for moderate-income buyers, home rehabilitation loans for necessary repairs (roofing, siding, windows, mechanical systems), and financing for upper-story housing in mixed-use buildings. Staff cited a current example: a multi-unit rehab project in a downtown block that will include four units set aside for low- and moderate-income residents.

Why it matters: The Great River Housing Trust Fund supports affordable housing and rehabilitation projects and the resolution ensures the county can apply for grant funding with the required local match.

Details: Staff told the board the program helps low- and moderate-income (LMI) owners and works with developers on projects such as historic school rehabs. The board was told the county budgets the match annually rather than committing multi-year funding up front.

Vote: The motion to approve the resolution passed on a roll-call vote. Staff said the grant application is for fiscal year 2027 and that the county allocates the matching funds annually as part of its budgeting process.

Ending: The board approved the resolution and staff thanked the board for continued support; no additional conditions were placed on the match at the Sept. 30 meeting.