About
EIRHA was established in 1978 to meet the housing needs of low and moderate-income families and the elderly and serves seven counties: Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson, Jones, and Scott County in Eastern Iowa. The cities of Clinton, Camanche, Davenport, and Dubuque are not served by the EIRHA region.
EIRHA has a contract with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to serve as many families as possible using their calendar year budget for Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) through the Section 8 HCV Program with an ACC of 983 a mainstream voucher program with an ACC of 39and owns/manages 163 Public Housing Units of family and elderly/disabled housing in the region. EIRHA is a member of the Iowa Chapter of NAHRO and PHADA.
Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV)
EIRHA has an annual contributions contract to assist up to 983 households, within its budget authority, with rental assistance in the region. The participating family chooses a decent, safe, and sanitary rental unit in which to reside. If the landlord agrees to lease the unit to the household under the Section 8 HCV Program, and EIRHA approves the rental unit, EIRHA will make monthly rental payments to the landlord to help the household pay their rent each month. Participating households pay a minimum of 30% of their adjusted income for rent and utilities or $50, whichever is greater.
Mainstream Voucher Program
EIRHA has an annual contributions contract to assist up to 79 households, within its budget authority, with incremental Mainstream Voucher assistance. The Mainstream Vouchers are tenant-based vouchers that serve households that include a non-elderly person(s) with disabilities, defined as any family that includes a person with disabilities who is at least 18 years old and not yet 62 years old at the effective date of the initial Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Contract.
The participating family chooses a decent, safe, and sanitary rental unit in which to reside. If the landlord agrees to lease the unit to the household under the Section 8 HCV Program, and EIRHA approves the rental unit, EIRHA will make monthly rental payments to the landlord to help the household pay their rent each month. Participating households pay a minimum of 30% of their adjusted income for rent and utilities or $50, whichever is greater.
Foster Youth to Independence (FYI)
The EIRHA has partnered with the local Public Child Welfare Agencies (PCWAs) to assist eligible youth for a period of 36 months. Eligible youth must be referred to EIRHA by the PCWA and meet the following conditions:
- Has attained at least 18 years of age and not more than 24 years of age;
- Left foster care, or will leave foster care within 90 days, in accordance with a transition plan described in Section 475 (5)(H) of the Social Security Act at age 16 or older; and
- Is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Public Housing Program –
EIRHA owns and manages 163 rental units in Dubuque, Jackson, Delaware, and Clinton Counties. These Public Housing units consist of apartments, duplexes, and single-family homes to provide housing for low-income families, seniors, and persons with disabilities. Participants in the program pay a minimum of 30% of their adjusted income toward rent and utilities or $50, whichever is greater. Payments are made directly to EIRHA on the first of each month.
Eastern Iowa Regional Housing Corporation (EIRHC)
EIRHC is a subsidiary of EIRHA and was established in 1990 and organized as a not-for-profit under the provisions of Chapter 504A of the Iowa Code and serves seven counties: Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson, and Jones Counties in Eastern Iowa. The cities of Clinton, Camanche, Davenport, and Dubuque are not served by EIRHC. The purpose of EIRHC is to promote the general social welfare of eligible occupants of rental housing as determined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Iowa Finance Authority (IFA), and Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) regulations, without regard to race, color, religion, creed, familial status or national origin; to acquire, construct, improve, and operate any real or personal property or interest or rights. EIRHC owns and manages 10 elderly and/or disabled USDA rental units: six (1BR) in Grand Mound, Iowa, and four (1 BR) in Worthington, Iowa. Rental assistance is financed by USDA for these units.
The Eastern Iowa Regional Housing Corporation maintains and owns the following formerly low income housing tax credit funded properties:
- The Peosta Evergreen Meadows (32 units) located in Peosta, Iowa
- Asbury Meadows (24 units) located in Asbury, Iowa
Tenant-Based Rent Assistance (TBRA)
In March 2014, the EIRHC was awarded an IFA Home Investment Based Rent Assistance (TBRA) grant and continues to apply for these funds. The grant provides rental and security deposit assistance for affordable, decent, safe, and sanitary housing to qualifying families over a two-year period. Families qualify by being at or below 60% of the County Median Income guideline.
Eastern Iowa Regional Housing Corporation Housing Trust Fund (EIRHC HTF)
In 2014, EIRHC applied to the state of Iowa to be a Housing Trust Fund (HTF) designee. In accordance with Iowa Code Section 16.181, a Housing Trust Fund is held with the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA). The intended use of the funds is for the development and preservation of affordable housing for households with low income in the state of Iowa.
East Central Development Corporation Pocket Neighborhood
The ECDC Pocket Neighborhood project aims to provide affordable housing for Eastern Iowa. For more information, visit the ECDC Pocket Neighborhood website.