Announcement | Pexels by Markus Winkler
Announcement | Pexels by Markus Winkler
City Launches “Improving Our Neighborhoods” Initiative
DES MOINES, IOWA — Wednesday, January 25, 2023 —The City of Des Moines launched an initiative today to strengthen and revitalize neighborhoods by offering property owners financial help for much-needed home repairs. The voluntary program, Improving Our Neighborhoods (ION), will help homeowners make external repairs, connect to resources and navigate the home repair system.
City Manager Scott Sanders said that the goal of ION is two-fold – to repair deteriorating properties that diminish the value of neighboring homes and to reduce the number of houses degrading into nuisance properties requiring demolition by the City.
According to the last U.S. Census, more than half of the houses in Des Moines were built before 1960. The ION program will focus on roughly 4,000 houses identified in need of repairs. ION team members this week will begin reaching out across Des Moines to deliver informational packets and invite those homeowners to participate in the ION program.
Sanders said $3.5 million in financial assistance has been committed to ION in 2023 that will help fund exterior property repairs for 100-150 Des Moines residents.
"With ION, we're striving to help homeowners with repairs that will make Des Moines neighborhoods healthier and more connected," Sanders said. “It's a significant challenge, but the Improving Our Neighborhoods initiative is a creative and ambitious effort that gets us moving in the right direction."
These are the exterior repairs that will be offered by ION as well as the criteria to qualify:
Repair Assistance Services Offered
- Roof repairs/replacement
- Siding repairs/replacement
- Exterior foundation repairs
- Windows/doors
- Work on the property lot that affects the livability in the structure
- Driveways (only if a safety hazard exists)
Criteria
- Property must be within City limits
- Repairs are exterior, not interior
- Property taxes, utilities, and mortgage must be current
- Property must be insured or have the capability of being insured
Assistance Options
- For small projects, up to $3,500 will be provided as a grant to qualified residents with an AMI of 80% and below.
- Homeowners with an AMI of 50% or below will receive 100% forgivable funding up to $20,000 and an additional $20,000 in a 50/50 lien.
- Those qualified applicants with an AMI of 51-80% will receive funding through a 50/50 lien for repairs up to $40,000.
100% $88,650
80% $70,950
60% $49,320
50% $44,350
For a family of 3 in Polk County
"Every member of our ION team knows that this program goes beyond fixing up houses, this is about helping people who might struggle a bit to get the job done themselves," Grauerholz said. “We successfully tested ION as a pilot project last year and the response was overwhelming and heartfelt."
Grauerholz said if there are repairs that don't qualify under ION, other community partners will be contacted to try and get the work done. For additional information about Improving Our Neighborhoods, go to DSM.city/ION.
Contact
Al Setka
Chief Communications Officer, City Manager’s Office(
515) 283-4057
AMSetka@dmgov.org
About the City of Des Moines
The City of Des Moines is Iowa’s capital city and our 17 departments serve more than 214,000 residents and 49 neighborhood associations. Des Moines is a leader in sustainability and provides its residents with vibrant neighborhoods, an alive and active downtown, and abundant leisure opportunities.Des Moines continuously improves neighborhoods, public safety and quality of life by offering exceptional city services and reliable infrastructure while fostering an involved and compassionate community for all who visit and live in Des Moines.Visit DSM.city, Facebook and Twitter for more information.
Original source can be found here.
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