Five Lake City residences have been added to a list of homes that will receive up to $25,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for housing rehabilitation. Several years ago, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allocated grant money for use within the community. About four to six homes were participating in the program until November 2018 when the number dropped to just a single structure. Administrator, Eric Wood, says many people took advantage of the opportunity to apply and multiple homes were approved.
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The money can be used to make improvements to electrical systems, roofing, windows, siding and other similar upgrades. According to Wood, the CDBG program is a tremendous opportunity to rehabilitate older homes in town, but they have run into issues finding companies interested in completing the projects.
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They did receive bids for projects last year, but they were rejected due to them being well above estimated costs. Lake City has partnered with the Mid-Iowa Development Association (MIDAS) Council of Governments in Fort Dodge to assist them in securing contractors. However, Wood says they will be working against the clock.
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The grant money originates from the federal government, but will not be affected by the ongoing shutdown. The city already has access to the funding because it was approved in a previous fiscal year budget.