The Sentiment Survey on Current Conditions for Housing Development in Iowa is an annual survey that captures the opinions of real estate professionals regarding current conditions for housing development across the state. Respondents are asked about their sentiment on housing in general, as well as what factors drive either their positive or negative views on housing-development prospects. This year’s survey is the first iteration of an annual study that will track how sentiment in terms of housing development changes over time.

This fact sheet describes the four steps for completed the Rural Housing Readiness Assessment (RHRA) process, a program offered by the ISU Extension and Outreach Community and Economic Development unit. The goals of the RHRA process are to help communities understand the complexities of the housing market and the challenges to improving housing quality, quantity, and affordability; to plan a road map that aligns strategies for addressing these housing challenges; and to act on those plans.

This fact sheet describes how a community should create a housing steering committee as part of the Rural Housing Readiness Assessment (RHRA) process. Included is information about committee makeup, members' roles and responsibilities through the RHRA process, meeting guidelines, and samples of a resolution and an ordinance to establish the committee.

This fact sheet will help housing steering committees understand the requirements under open meetings and open records laws and operate accordingly as they work through the Rural Housing Readiness Assessment (RHRA) process.

This fact sheet defines city ordinances and describes the process and requirements for updating or amending and publishing them according to the Iowa Code.

This fact sheet is a worksheet on which a housing steering committee going through the Rural Housing Readiness Assessment (RHRA) process can list any previous housing assessments and plans conducted in its community and describe the results.

This fact sheet defines low-income housing tax credits, describes how they work and who is eligible to apply, and provides tips for obtaining these highly competitive tax credits.

This fact sheet defines and describes the benefits of establishing manufactured, modular, and mobile home developments to address housing issues. It also defines land-lease communities and the requirements for regulating these communities.

This fact sheet describes the importance of rental housing inspection programs in helping a community maintain a minimum quality standard for the existing housing stock. It describes why cities should require landlords to register rental properties, the types of rental housing inspection programs, and how to fund such programs.

Iowa Code § 414.24 provides a means for small municipalities to prepare and adopt a version of zoning that is less complex and easier to administer than a conventional zoning plan. Under this approach, the city council establishes areas of the community called “restricted-residence districts,” known also as “restricted residential districts.” This fact sheet describes the advantages and disadvantages and best practices for establishing this type of district.

This fact sheet identifies the problems under Iowa law with granting dimensional variances to allow flexibility in property dimensions. It also describes creative ways to allow flexibility under certain circumstances in the local zoning ordinance to make it easier to build new and rehabilitate existing housing.

This fact sheet defines tax increment financing (TIF) and how cities can use it to fund variety of community projects that are designed to encourage economic growth and jobs, including housing developments. It also describes how TIF funds can be used and explains how to set up a TIF district.

This fact sheet explains how a local government can acquire a nuisance property through tax sales. It also describes the processes defined in the Iowa Code that local governments can use to obtain tax certificates from third parties.

This fact sheet defines infill housing development and presents the advantages and disadvantages of this type of development. It illustrates examples of infill housing development in Sioux City and describes the steps for creating an infill housing development.

The popularity of local foods has increased significantly in the last few decades, pushed along in recent years by a heightened interest of consumers in buying local and sustainably-grown foods. Municipalities are increasingly recognizing the multiple benefits of urban agriculture. As the urban agriculture movement has advanced, many have recognized the role that local government policies and regulations play in either stifling or facilitating the production, processing and distribution of local foods.

This guidebook focuses on the intersection of local foods and municipal zoning. It is written to provide Iowa city officials information and sample code language for reducing the barriers to, and/or encouraging some of the most common production and sales activities associated with urban agriculture.