State Director Greenfield Announces Expansion of Loan and Grant Eligibility for Iowans in Presidentially Declared Disaster Areas to Include Allamakee, Clayton, Dubuque, Jackson, Scott, Des Moines and Lee counties
DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept. 18, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today announced that the Department is launching a pilot program to make it easier for people to access loans and grants to repair homes damaged by flooding and by future natural disasters in rural Iowa. The homes must be located in eligible rural areas and presidentially declared disaster areas.
Funds may be used in presidentially declared disaster areas that occurred since July 18, 2022. These areas currently include Allamakee, Clayton, Dubuque, Jackson, Scott, Des Moines and Lee counties. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has published a map this outlining this area.
“The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA stand ready to deploy every resource at our disposal to help very-low income families and individuals recover and recuperate,” said Director Greenfield. “We are working hard to find solutions that better accommodate people impacted by natural disasters in rural areas of Iowa, to help them get the resources they need to rebuild their homes and their lives. The pilot program we are announcing today is a key example of this critical work and will hopefully create a blueprint for helping people in other rural communities across the country recover from natural disasters.”
This USDA pilot program significantly expands eligibility for people seeking Single Family Housing Repair Loans and Grants to repair and rebuild their homes damaged in areas of presidentially declared disasters.
As a part of this pilot, USDA is making a number of changes, including:
- Lowering the minimum age from 62 to 18 for eligible homeowners.
- Increasing the maximum lifetime assistance up to $40,675.
- Refinancing debt and reimbursing repair costs incurred as a result of the natural disaster and prior to the date of the application. Repairs must be to remove health or safety hazards caused by the presidentially declared disaster.
- Financing costs to relocate mobile and manufactured homes.
Applications must be submitted directly to the Rural Development State Office in Iowa.
Contact USDA Rural Development
USDA Rural Development has 11 offices across the state to serve the 1.3 million Iowans living in rural communities and areas. Office locations include a state office in Des Moines, along with area offices in Albia, Atlantic, Humboldt, Indianola, Iowa Falls, Le Mars, Mount Pleasant, Storm Lake, Tipton and Waverly.
For more information on how to apply to this pilot program, contact IowaHomeLoans@usda.gov or call (515) 284-4444 or visit www.rd.usda.gov/ia. Additional information is also available on page 60883 of the September 6thFederal Register and page 45809 of the July 18thFederal Register.
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Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety, and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal, and high-poverty areas.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.