State Grants Send $555,000 to Buena Vista Area Housing Trust
The Iowa Finance Authority announced on December 5, 2025 that it awarded more than $12.2 million in grants to Local Housing Trust Funds across Iowa, funding programs that will support nearly 2,500 families. Buena Vista County is included in a Northwest regional award of $555,000 that will help preserve homes, develop new housing, and expand rental and homelessness services locally.
The Iowa Finance Authority on December 5, 2025 awarded over $12.2 million through the State Housing Trust Fund’s Local Housing Trust Fund Program, directing money to locally certified housing organizations across the state. The awards are intended to preserve existing homes, develop new housing, provide rental assistance, and support services for Iowans experiencing homelessness. Statewide these grants are expected to assist nearly 2,500 families and to leverage additional local financing.
Among northwest Iowa recipients, the Northwest Iowa Regional Housing Trust Fund received $555,000 to serve Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Lyon, OBrien, Osceola, Palo Alto, and Sioux counties. Council of Governments Housing, Inc. was awarded just over $412,000 to serve Audubon, Carroll, Crawford, Greene, Guthrie, and Sac counties. The Heart of Iowa Regional Housing Trust Fund received $452,000 for projects in Calhoun, Hamilton, Humboldt, Pocahontas, Webster, and Wright counties. The Western Iowa Community Improvement Regional Housing Trust Fund was granted $415,000 to support housing needs in Cherokee, Ida, Monona, Plymouth, and Woodbury counties excluding Sioux City.
For Buena Vista County the regional award creates an immediate pool of resources that local governments and nonprofit partners can apply toward a range of priorities. Funds may be used to rehabilitate aging properties, support new affordable units for families and seniors, provide rental assistance to households at risk of displacement, and expand outreach or supportive services for residents experiencing homelessness. By design the awards are intended to attract matching dollars and local investment, increasing the overall impact of state funding.
The December awards continue a long term state commitment to housing equity. Since 2003 the State Housing Trust Fund has invested more than $140 million across Iowa, a sustained effort to address both rural and urban housing needs. For Buena Vista County residents, the infusion of regional trust fund dollars offers a chance to stabilize housing for vulnerable households and to advance local projects that have struggled for financing. Local officials and housing partners will now be positioned to translate the regional allocation into specific projects that meet community needs.
