Housing department details HUD-funded reorganization, grants and housing pipeline in FY27 budget presentation

Maddy Haverland, director of the Housing & Community Development Department, told the Dubuque City Council on April 9 that the department’s FY2027 net property tax support request is $644,215, equal to about $9.94 for the average homeowner.

Haverland opened the presentation by describing a department reorganization effective Feb. 1, 2026, completed with Human Resources and intended to centralize core functions, strengthen federal-compliance oversight, and better align positions and pay grades with work complexity. She said most of the staffing changes are covered by federal HUD grants — including Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Lead & Healthy Homes, and Older Adults Modification grants — resulting in a “minimal general fund increase in fiscal year 2027.”

The department seeks three FY27 improvement packages: a $42,500 recurring package for building demolition to address unsafe abandoned structures; a $1,300 recurring subscription to the International Code Council premium library to support code access and citizen outreach; and a one-time $9,500 non-recurring request to cover the cost difference when replacing a Ford Fusion with a four-wheel-drive SUV for field inspectors who work in unimproved terrain. Haverland said the department has 39 full-time positions, an increase of three primarily funded by grants.

Haverland and department staff also highlighted operational achievements and program details. They reported issuing Certificates of Occupancy for more than 300 new housing units and completing the transition to a two-year rental-inspection cycle. Chief building official Michael Belmont outlined specific projects in the pipeline — Emri Apartments (50-unit LIHTC project, completed Nov. 2025 and 64% leased), Union at the Marina (201 units, workforce housing), Fox Hills (390 units with roughly $93 million private investment and a $1 million Workforce Housing Incentive), The Landings (180 market-rate units) and 5th & Main (102 mixed-use units with a $1.5 million Greyfield Redevelopment Tax Credit).

On assisted housing, Gina Hodgson, Assisted Housing supervisor, said the PHA supports roughly 920 households monthly with nearly $9.8 million in annual housing payments ($7.8 million from HUD and $2.0 million from participating families). She said utilization has declined in part because of higher per-unit costs and increased port-out activity, and noted the department’s family self-sufficiency program participants will earn about $149,400 in escrow disbursements in FY26, with four graduations averaging roughly $8,000 each.

Council members asked how the department keeps its property-tax ask small. Haverland explained that assisted housing and many community development activities are funded by HUD entitlement and competitive grants; Inspection & Construction Services aim for revenue neutrality through permit and licensing fees. On partner payments, Mary Bridget Corken-Deutsch said contracted services include HACAP (about $70,000 for a VITA tax-assistance program), Community Solutions of Eastern Iowa (CSEI, approximately $48,000 for a housing helpline) and HEART (partnership for rehab workforce projects).

Haverland and staff emphasized the department’s reliance on grant funding and the need to track occupancy for new units; staff said they will provide council copies of recent housing studies and include unit and occupancy tracking in quarterly reports.

The presentation closed with staff offering to take council follow-ups and to field additional questions during subsequent department hearings.