Putting a new roof on a house is a major expense for anybody.

For those who don’t have much money, those new shingles may simply be unaffordable and the needed work might never be done. And when the roof starts leaking, problems with the house keep mounting until it is unlivable.

There is help available, however, for those who meet income guidelines and can’t afford repairs to their homes.

The newly expanded Heart of Iowa Regional Housing Trust Fund has nearly $500,000 available to help those people, and Paige Wheeler, community development manager for the city of Fort Dodge, wants to see it all spent.

“It’s a super good investment in our housing and the safety of our neighborhoods,” she said.

She said the money will be made available in five-year forgivable mortgages to qualifying homeowners in Calhoun, Hamilton, Humboldt, Pocahontas, Webster and Wright counties.

She said after a repair project is completed, the mortgage is forgiven at the rate of 20 percent a year as long as the home owner continues to live in the house. If they stay in the home for five years or more, the loan is completely forgiven.

The items that the money can be used for include roofs, furnaces, water heaters, windows and accessibility needs like walk-in showers.

The Heart of Iowa Regional Housing Trust Fund received $411,939 from the Iowa Finance Authority in December.

The six counties in the trust’s service area and some financial institutions contributed $86,000 in matching funds. Those financial institutions were Availa Bank, Green State Credit Union, First State Bank, United Bank and Webster City Financial Bank.

Altogether the trust has about $498,000 to be invested in area homes.

To qualify for some of that money, an individual or family must own the home they are living in. No rental properties are eligible.

The individual or family must also fall within income guidelines outlined by the Iowa Finance Authority.

Priority is given to those whose income is at or below 30 percent of area median income, those with disabilities and those who are 62 or older.

A homeowner can receive a maximum of $15,000 from the housing trust.

For more information on the income guidelines and for help applying for a mortgage through the housing trust, call Ashly Edwards at (515) 576-4551 ext. 1253.

The Heart of Iowa Housing Trust Fund was established in late 2018 and began providing loans in early 2019. It initially just included Hamilton and Webster counties.

Fort Dodge City Councilman Kim Alstott has been the city’s representative to the trust since the beginning and he said the organization’s goal was simple.

“We wanted people to get their homes fixed up,” he said.

The city of Fort Dodge provides the staffing for the trust. Wheeler and Edwards, who is the city’s new grant administrator, handle those duties.

Since its beginning, the trust has paid for 50 to 60 projects.

Calhoun, Humboldt, Pocahontas and Wright counties recently joined the trust after a similar organization, the Homeward Housing Trust, dissolved.

To learn more

For more information on getting help from the Heart of Iowa Regional Housing Trust, call Ashly Edwards at (515) 576-4551 ext. 1253.