SE Iowa News

Approximately $400,000 in grant money to be awarded to Iowa rural communities will be awarded by the state’s Economic Development Authority with the aim of encouraging innovative ways to grow rural economies and meet housing needs.

“We do big things in rural Iowa, and public private partnerships continue to open new doors to the creative thinking and entrepreneurial spirit that exists in all corners of the state,” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-Iowa) said in a news release on iowaeconomicdevelopment.com. “The investments announced today support everyday Iowans who are thinking outside the box to address the challenges that exist in their communities. I believe these unique projects will serve as a growth model for even greater prosperity in our small towns and rural communities.”

The grants titled “Rural Innovation” and “Rural Assessment” will be awarded to 21 (rural) Iowa communities and have been made as part of the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative in 2019.  

The objective is to develop new ideas on how to deal with the challenges that rural communities in Iowa face and develop community investment and economic growth. Housing studies will target common-sense changes to development codes, ordinances and how to build housing incentives among developers.

Grant money has been used to promote youth job training programs, teach English as a second language, manage personal finances, proper nutrition, develop support groups for victims of crime, and new business development that allows small towns to prosper.   

“When developers see just how great the housing needs are from these assessments, they get the confidence they need to invest in rural Iowa,” Republican Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg, co-chair of the Empower Rural Iowa Initiative, said. “The rural innovation and housing needs studies are just one of the many concrete ideas the Empower Rural Iowa task forces have come forward with to grow the rural parts of our state.”

For information on the grant programs click here.