The Northwest Iowa Regional Housing Trust Fund housing rehabilitation program is available to help income-eligible homeowners make critical repairs and improvements to their homes. This program offers a combination of forgivable grants and low-interest loans to ensure homes remain safe, secure, and well-maintained. 

  Eligible work includes:

•    Structural repairs - roofing, windows and siding

•    Building systems – electrical upgrades, plumbing repairs and furnace replacement

•    Emergency repairs – septic tank improvements, water heater replacement, lead-based paint reduction

•    Weatherization – insulation

•    Disability Accessibility – exterior ramps, bathroom facilities.

  Eligible households may qualify for financial assistance based on their household income relative to the Area Median Income (AMI):

Households at or below 30% of AMI (currently $29,940 for a 1-2 person household in Buena Vista County or $34,431 for households of 3-5 persons)

•    Eligible for a forgivable grant of up to $12,500

•    Maximum assistance: $12,500

•    No repayment required, provided program terms are met

Households between 31% and 80% of AMI (currently up to $79,840 for a 1-2 person household in Buena Vista County or $91,816 for households of 3-5 persons)

•    Eligible for:

o    A forgivable grant/loan of up to $12,500, and

o    A low-interest loan (2%) of up to $25,000

•    Maximum total assistance: $37,500

•    The forgivable grant portion becomes available after two-thirds of the total project cost is covered by the low-interest loan

•    Applicants for the repayable loan must have:

o    A minimum credit score of 620, or

o    Acceptable non-credit reported verifications for homeowners without a traditional credit score

  The program brochure and application are available on the City of Storm Lake website: https://www.stormlake.org/711/Housing under "Programs for Homeowners" Northwest Iowa Regional Housing Trust Fund, Inc.