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East Central Iowa Housing Trust Fund seeks $5,986 from Benton County to match state application
Summary
The East Central Iowa Housing Trust Fund presented a request for $5,986 from Benton County as a local match component for a state funding application; trustees summarized past county allocations and program outcomes.
A representative of the East Central Iowa Housing Trust Fund told the Benton County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 7 that the regional trust fund is requesting $5,986 from Benton County as the county's FY26 local match to support the Trust Fund's state grant application process.
The presenter said the East Central Iowa Housing Trust Fund (covering Benton, Iowa, Jones and Washington counties) requires a 25 percent local match to apply for state housing trust fund dollars and reported historical spending and program activity in Benton County. The speaker said housing trust fund dollars alone have supported $924,341 in Benton County since the program began there, and an additional Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) funded homeowner rehabilitation program accounted for about $342,000, bringing the total impact since inception to about $1,266,804.
For the most recent program year, the presenter reported the trust fund spent about $183,080 in Benton County across housing trust fund and FHLB-owner rehab programs; that included down payment assistance for three homeowners in the Anderson Creek project and grants to Cedar Valley Habitat for emergency repair and rehab work.
The speaker said the requested $5,986 is Benton County's share of a $20,000 four-county local commitment the fund will include in its FY26 state application. Funding decisions at the state level and a requirement that local jurisdictions show participation make the county contribution necessary to maximize the trust fund—9s ability to apply for the available state appropriation.
Supervisors did not take a vote at the meeting on the request but indicated they had previously supported similar annual contributions. County staff were asked to process the request for inclusion in the FY26 budget materials and to confirm the precise funding line and timing for a county contribution if the board chooses to approve it during final budget deliberations.
Ending: The trust fund representative asked residents with owner-occupied rehabilitation needs to contact the fund for assistance; the county will review the $5,986 request as part of its upcoming budget process.
