BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION WOULD CREATE VETERANS ASSISTANT AT DEPT. OF HOUSING

Washington, DC – March 28, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — Iowa Congressman Tom Latham on Tuesday voted in favor of bipartisan legislation to extend new help to homeless veterans. more »

State Grants to Support Three Affordable Housing Initiatives

Des Moines, IA – March 13, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Board of Directors recently approved a combined total of more than $105,000 in grants to provide affordable homeownership and rental opportunities to families in Burlington, Rock Rapids and Tipton. The funding is made available through the State Housing Trust Fund’s Project-Based program, which provides financing for the development of affordable single-family and multifamily housing units. more »

WASHINGTON, DC – March 13, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — Senator Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, today asked the Department of Justice for detailed information about the “thousands” of mortgage fraud cases the department has brought forward and about the claim that the department has “secured numerous convictions against CEOs, CFOs, board members, presidents and other executives of Wall Street firms and banks for financial crimes.” more »

State Grant to Support Lease-Purchase Program

Des Moines, Iowa – The Iowa Finance Authority Board of Directors recently approved a $50,000 grant to the Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation (NEICAC) to assist in the construction of an affordable home for a family in Waukon through NEICAC’s lease-purchase program. The funding is made available through the State Housing Trust Fund’s Project-Based program. The program provides financing for the development of affordable single-family and multifamily housing units. more »

Affordable housing income restrictions waived for flood-impacted residents of Fremont, Harrison, Mils, Monona and Pottawattamie counties

DES MOINES, IA – December 23, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today announced that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has approved the Branstad/Reynolds Administration’s request for a temporary waiver of income restrictions on federal housing tax credit properties throughout the state to assist Iowans who may have been displaced by the Missouri River flooding last summer. The Iowa Finance Authority administers the federal housing tax credit program in Iowa and a listing of properties is available at: www.IowaFinanceAuthority.gov/EmergencyHousing. more »

Grant to Habitat for Humanity of Marion County Inc. to spur new home

Des Moines, IA – December 21, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — The Iowa Finance Authority Board of Directors recently approved a $50,000 grant to Habitat for Humanity of Marion County, Inc. to assist in the construction of an affordable home for a family in Knoxville.
The funding is made available through the State Housing Trust Fund’s Project-Based program. The program provides financing for the development of affordable single-family and multifamily housing units. more »

Northbrook, IL – December 12, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — The Boulder Group, a net leased investment brokerage firm, has completed the sale of a single tenant net leased Walgreens property located at 3325 16th Avenue Southwest in Cedar Rapids, IA for $4,178,500. more »

Iowa Council on Homelessness unveils database to track homelessness trends in Iowa

Des Moines, IA – November 17, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds today proclaimed November 12-20, 2011 as Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in Iowa. Iowa joins with 500 other communities and organizations throughout the country in bringing awareness to the issues. The Iowa Council on Homelessness has published new homelessness data citing a slight decrease in homelessness in 2010 and an increase in overall Iowans served for homelessness prevention. more »

Des Moines, IA – November 7, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Congressman Leonard Boswell (IA-3) sent a letter to House Conferees to H.R. 2112 urging them to reject language contained in the legislation that would restore the currently expired Federal Housing Authority (FHA) loan limits. more »

Homeless Iowans and families to benefit from state and federal resources

Des Moines, IA – November 7, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — The Iowa Finance Authority Board of Directors recently announced awards of more than $2 million in state and federal grants to assist homeless assistance projects in 35 counties throughout the state. The funds are made available through the Homeless Assistance Program, which is a combination of the federal Emergency Shelter Grant program and the state Shelter Assistance Fund programs and are jointly administered by the Iowa Finance Authority. more »

Local Housing Trust Fund Certification means ability to apply for State Housing Trust Fund program grants

Des Moines, IA – November 2, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — The Iowa Finance Authority Board of Directors today certified the NIACOG Housing Trust Fund through the State Housing Trust Fund’s Local Housing Trust Fund program. The designation means the group may apply for funds from the Iowa Finance Authority’s State Housing Trust Fund program. More than $5 million is available to the 25 certified Local Housing Trust Funds on a competitive basis in fiscal year 2012. Local Housing Trust Funds use the funding to build affordable housing locally. more »

Down payment assistance grant increased by $1,000 for a total of up to $3,500 in assistance available until December 31 or until funds are expended to spur affordable homeownership

DES MOINES – October 13, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds today announced that up to $3,500 in down payment assistance is now available to eligible home buyers who purchase their homes using the Iowa Finance Authority’s FirstHome and FirstHome Plus program through the end of the year, an increase of $1,000 above the normal amount of $2,500. The Iowa Finance Authority is a self-supporting agency. more »

State grant will assist in the revitalization of a Waterloo neighborhood

Des Moines, IA – September 16, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — The Iowa Finance Authority Board of Directors recently approved a $50,000 grant to Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity to help acquire three lots in foreclosure, deconstruct for salvage material and demolish a dilapidated home and construct three new affordable homes. The funding is made available through the State Housing Trust Fund’s Project-Based program. The program provides financing for the development of affordable single-family and multifamily housing units. more »

4th annual HousingIowa awards honor outstanding housing initiatives throughout Iowa

Des Moines, IA – September 9, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Three outstanding Iowa housing initiatives and one individual from throughout the state were recently recognized with HousingIowa Awards at the 2011 HousingIowa Conference, presented by the Iowa Finance Authority in Des Moines. more »

WASHINGTON, DC – August 31, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it is charging John and Nancy Meany, owners of an apartment building in Traer, Iowa, with violating the Fair Housing Act for refusing to accommodate a request from a family with a child with cerebral palsy. HUD brings the charge on behalf of the child and her mother, claiming the owners refused to allow the seven-year-old girl to have a medically-prescribed emotional support animal. Additionally, the owners allegedly told the mother that if she got the animal, she would have to either move or pay more money to stay. more »