The department shall establish the local housing assistance program in coordination with the Iowa finance authority to effectuate the purposes of this part, subject to the following provisions:
1. The department shall provide financial assistance on a competitive basis for housing projects. Requests for assistance for housing projects may be made by a city, county, housing trust fund, local housing organization, recognized neighborhood organization, economic development organization, or other entity or by a local housing group on behalf of a local entity. To be eligible to receive assistance, a housing needs assessment must have been completed for the community in which the project will be undertaken within the five years prior to the date of the application.
2. The department shall also provide technical assistance to local housing groups or entities. Technical assistance provided under the program shall be coordinated with existing departmental programs or resources and existing programs or resources of the Iowa finance authority, to the extent feasible.
3. A local housing group which applies to the department on behalf of a local entity shall not directly administer a project receiving financial assistance under the program. The project shall be administered by the entity for which the local housing group made the application.
4. In reviewing applications for financial assistance, the department shall consider a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the following:
a. Whether the project is consistent with the recommendations of the housing needs assessment.
b. Whether the need for the project arose as a result of economic development efforts or opportunities not reflected in the housing needs assessment. When considering projects not consistent with the housing needs assessment, the department shall consider whether failure to fund the project will cause the economic development activity necessitating the project to fail.
c. Whether the local housing group or entity has adopted a comprehensive housing plan for the community in which the project will be undertaken.
d. The extent to which financial assistance under the program will leverage local or private matching funds or financial assistance or other state or federal financial assistance.
5. As used in this part:
a. "Community" means a city or county, or an entity established pursuant to chapter 28E.
b. "Local housing group" means an entity organized to represent community housing development interest.
97 Acts, ch 214, §4
© 1998 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa
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