Local Information for Iowa

Often known as the American Heartland, Iowa used to be part of French Louisiana. This explains why its flag has three vertical stripes of blue, red, and white and closely resembles France’s flag. Its nickname, the Hawkeye State, honors Indian leader Chief Black Hawk.

Iowa has a lot of rolling hills and natural lakes. The Spirit Lake is one of its most popular. It is also home to man-made lakes like the Lake Odessa and Lake Red Rock. Aside from the lakes, the state is also known for its wineries and wine tasting trails. Additionally, thousands of bicyclists visit the Hawkeye State every year for the Register’s Annual Great Bike Across Iowa.

The state of Iowa’s largest city is Des Moines. It is where where you’ll find the State Historical Society of Iowa Museum and it considered the economic and political center of the state. The city of Boone, on the other hand, is known for its Farm Progress Show, a farm show that started in 1953.

If you plan to build a home in Iowa, any of these two cities will be a good choice since they are both ideal for raising a family.

Iowa Housing Authority

The state’s primary mover in terms of affordable housing is the Housing Authority. Established in 1969, as a division of Iowa City, its main function is to manage and provide housing assistance programs to low income families and individuals. It works hand-in-hand with landlords and through different ownership and rental programs. This Iowa housing authority follows income guidelines established by the federal government.

In the city of Des Moines, housing assistance is provided by the Housing Services Department. It has two divisions working to find affordable housing opportunities for Des Moines and Polk County residents. These two divisions are the Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency or DMMHA and the Des Moines Community Action Agency or DMCAA.

Boone, on the other hand, has a housing program that coordinates with non-profit organizations to help residents with low income find affordable homes.

Rental Assistance in Iowa

The state of Iowa has several rental assistance programs, but the Housing Services Department is the main authority that administers the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides funding for the program, which is intended to help low income families, the disabled, and the elderly to rent safe and decent housing units from private landlords.

Applicants to the Section 8 program need to qualify under the guidelines set by the HUD. Once deemed eligible, the applicants are given a voucher and a certain time period to look for a rental unit. The chosen unit has to be inspected in order to determine whether it is eligible for the program and whether it is safe and decent based on the results of the Housing Quality Standards inspection.

There are many more rental and housing choices for those who want to live affordably and comfortably in Iowa. In fact, you can find rental assistance online. These online assistance services offer you a variety of rental options and the chance to peek at your dream house via floor plans and actual photos of the unit.