Roundtable Nov. 5 in Charles City will discuss housing challenges

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Various groups and studies have pointed out the need for increased housing options in Charles City and the area. A forum scheduled for early next month will bring to town state experts to help discuss how to deal with the challenge.

A “housing roundtable” will be held Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 10:30 a.m. in the NIACC Center in Charles City.

Scheduled to attend are these state officials:

• Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and director of the Iowa Finance Authority.

• Nicole Hansen, community investments team leader with the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

• Terri Rosonke, housing programs manager with the Iowa Finance Authority.

“Our housing situation is not unlike many other rural areas of the state,” said Tim Fox, executive director of the Charles City Area Development Corp.

A housing needs assessment completed this spring by Maxfield Research & Consulting of Golden Valley, Minnesota, identified a list of “key takeaways” as well as priorities.

The study covered Floyd County and Nashua, and was paid for by Floyd County.

Among the highest priorities identified is the demand for senior housing options, Fox said.

The report said there will be a demand for more than 1,050 additional housing units in the county and Nashua through 2025, including almost two-thirds of them — almost 650 units — just for seniors.

The highest demand for senior housing is for independent living housing.

The housing roundtable scheduled for Nov. 5 in Charles City is being structured so everyone attending will have an opportunity to provide input, Fox said.

The goal is to find ways to place Floyd County and Nashua in a competitive housing position in relation to other rural Iowa counties.

Fox said he invited all the county’s mayors, and hopefully they will bring with them their city clerks or administrators and potentially city council members as well.

“It is critical that we show the state that Floyd County and Nashua are concerned with housing conditions and wish to strive to witness market enhancements,” he said.

Included on the agenda for the roundtable are an overview of the housing needs assessment results, descriptions of successful housing projects, and perspectives from the point of view of towns, the county, real estate agents, educational institutions, business and industry, lenders, contractors, the CCADC and the state.

The housing needs assessment done in May forecasts a demand for 103 additional single family homes, with the strongest demand for entry-level homes. But it acknowledges it is difficult to build entry-level single family homes given the development costs.

One potential solution is the use of infill lots, where existing homes in poor condition are torn down and new homes built on those lots.

The construction cost is lower because utilities and other infrastructure are already in place, but there are other challenges because many of these lots are too small to meet current zoning requirements, Fox said earlier when the housing needs assessment report was released.

“That requires some government cooperation as far as setbacks and that kind of thing, but that really is going to be the most cost-effective means to getting any new housing,” Fox said.