Here are the Cedar Rapids housing projects vying for disaster recovery funds

CEDAR RAPIDS — Federal funds intended to aid in Linn County’s recovery from the 2020 derecho could fuel a massive investment in both single- and multifamily housing projects in Cedar Rapids, which bore the brunt of the unprecedented storm’s destructive hurricane-force winds.

The Cedar Rapids City Council on Tuesday signed off on resolutions of support for multifamily and single-family housing projects that are seeking a slice of Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds to add a combined 300 housing units in the community.

The dollars funneled to Iowa communities from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development mark a major step toward rebuilding the housing stock the August 2020 derecho damaged or entirely destroyed.

Linn County will receive 80 percent of the approximately $57.6 million allocation to the state, which will be awarded through the Iowa Economic Development Authority, likely in February.

The multifamily rental projects would receive a local match — a 10-year, 100 percent tax exemption of increased taxes generated by the project. Overall, multifamily project applications received would add 199 units, of which 146 would be reserved for low- to moderate-income households. They are a mix of new construction and adaptive reuse.

The seven applications for a share of $15.725 million in funding available for all of Linn County totaled $15.93 million.

Single-family applications received would add 101 units, all of which would be reserved for low- to moderate-income households. The nine applications for a share of $16 million available for Linn County totaled nearly $13.23 million.

Housing Services Manager Sara Buck said a review committee made up of staff, local development professionals and core neighborhood representatives scored projects after applications were received Dec. 2.

Buck said there is a mitigation incentive that would award developers additional dollars for solar to make the structures more resilient to future disasters.

“They are being built at a higher standard, at a higher level to withstand the winds, to have a safe room included just as a minimum,” Buck said.

Council member Dale Todd emphasized the need for strategically adding new housing in conjunction with new development and infrastructure improvements.

“Since the flood, we’re putting them up everywhere, and we’ve needed to do that to catch up with the numbers in terms of the housing needs analysis,” Todd said, referring to the annual Maxwell housing study that shows the level of need in Cedar Rapids. “We’re building some mass in some places.”

Projects outside of Cedar Rapids will be considered by the local jurisdiction and submitted by the East Central Iowa Council of Governments.

IEDA early next year will open applications for disaster recovery funding through the Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program, Tree Canopy Replanting Program and Generator Program.

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