Special meeting held for rural housing grant approval

The Red Oak City Council met in special session on Dec. 1.
Only one item was on the agenda, an application for a Rural Housing Readiness Assessment grant. Steve Adams, the director of the Montgomery County Development Corporation, was present at the meeting and said the grant has been funded the past two years in partnership with the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
“As part of the grant, they would come in and do a data analysis of the community and identify what gaps there might be for housing in the City of Red Oak. The community of Stanton has also executed one of these grants and done an assessment,” Adams said.
As part of the grant, the housing assessment would include LMI, rental, second story, affordable, first time buyers and higher income housing needs, and identify what type of housing is most needed in Red Oak and promoteand grow high quality housing in Red Oak.
Since MCDC was going to put up the in-kind funding of $5,000 cash match for the grant, with a $10,000 grant award, Adams thought he could simply make the application through MCDC; however, he found out later that there had to be a city or county sponsor to complete the application. Whatever the expenses are, a reimbursement would be provided, and while the city would be a sponsor, there would be no cost to the city.
While the application was only 99 percent completed, Adams did have a copy of the information which he provided the council. The deadline for the application’s submittal was due at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 1, which was why a special meeting was called.
Wright said since it was moving through the city, the city would have to budget and track the grant, as well as potentially be audited for it. Notification of the grant winners will take place on Dec. 22, and the money needed to be spent by June 30, 2022.

“It will not go through MCDC. They will have to submit the application to us, and then we will have to submit it. While Steve Adams will be administering the grant and doing all of the legwork, it has to be issued as a city application,” explained Wright.
The council members reviewed Adams’ grant application and felt everything looked fine. Adams apologized to the council for the short notice for voting to approve the grant.
The council approved being named the applicant on the application for the Rural Housing Readiness Assessment grant.