by Jerry Knox
Associate professor of community and regional planning
Iowa State University Extension to Communities
The provision of adequate, affordable housing has become an increasing concern for rural Iowa communities. The housing demand in many of Iowa's small towns is due to a combination of several factors. First, the state has mostly recovered from the disastrous 1980s farm crisis. In fact, the 1994 U.S. Census estimates show that 58.7 percent of all Iowa towns gained population in the 1990-1994 period. Second, the number of people per household is dropping, resulting in the demand for additional dwellings. Some of this drop in household size is due to an aging population, and some is due to the fact that we now have a variety of non-traditional households, such as single people living alone, single parent households, two unrelated individuals living together in order to better afford housing, and so on. Third, some small Iowa towns, as a function of the economic recovery, are attracting new jobs which may translate into population growth.
For the past several years, Iowa State University' s Community and Regional Planning Department and the Iowa Department of Economic Development have joined forces to provide housing analyses for Iowa communities. The housing analyses provide an overview of housing trends and estimate the housing needs for the three- to five-year future. The project has been quite successful, in large part, because local people interested in housingÑand knowledgeable about housingÑ are deeply involved in the process.
An easy-to-use method for identifying housing needs, described in the Housing Needs Manual: An Assessment Tool for Rural Communities in Iowa, has been developed to assist communities within a housing market region to address housing needs and constraints and develop a plan to meet future housing needs. The thrust of the manual is a self-help, step-by-step approach supported by a minimal amount of assistance, usually in the form of facilitating the housing assessment process. Use of the manual enables small communities to:
* estimate the current and short-range future housing needs;
* develop insights into needs for specific population groups, such as the elderly;
* identify constraints to the provision of housing, such as a lack of water or sanitary sewer capacity;
* explore short- and long-term housing development strategies and gain a vision of their own future;
* gain broad community involvement and support;
* build on existing resources, including a community's infrastructure, capital assets, and, most importantly, the human resources that are available;
* analyze community strengths and weaknesses, then choose the most appropriate housing development opportunities; and
* implement a housing action plan whereby they can take charge of their future.
The manual has been sent to more than 400 communities in Iowa, at their request. Approximately 30 communities have used the manual to date. The success of the approach has led the Iowa Department of Economic Development to provide $100,000 statewide for additional housing studies. These can be done either by a consultant or a team from ISU's Community and Regional Planning Department.
A copy of the Housing Needs Manual can be obtained by contacting Miriam Ubben, Iowa Department of Economic Development, 200 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50309; phone (515) 242-4783; fax (515) 242-4809; or E-mail: mubben@ided.state.ia.us.
Contacts:
Terry L. Besser, ISU
Extension Sociology, (515) 294-6508
Del Marks, ISU Extension
Communication Systems, (515) 294-9807
