The Carroll City Council voted unanimously last night (Monday) to extend a contract with the Region XII Council of Governments for the rehabilitation of existing homes in the community. City Manager Aaron Kooiker says this agreement began in July 2023 as part of the city’s efforts to improve the local housing stock.
The city allocated $300,000 in 2023 for cost reimbursements as Region XII acquired homes for workforce housing development. To date, only two homes have begun moving through the program. The original contract covers both new home construction and rehabilitation, but Region XII has focused almost solely on rehab at the council’s direction to avoid competition with local contractors. Region XII Executive Director Rick Hunsaker says it is incredibly challenging in Carroll to find properties suitable for the program.
Hunsaker also references the Homes for Iowa program, which has prisoners at the Newton Correctional Facility build homes on site and transport the structures to prepared foundations. Hunsaker says that the process is more straightforward in other communities, as Region XII often has the lot or associated work donated by the local government.
Several council members indicated they would be willing to consider changes to the city’s housing programs to better facilitate new construction managed by Region XII, but those would be conversations to be held later. The question before the council was whether to extend the contract through Dec. 31, 2027, to allow Region XII more time at no cost to the city, which was approved unanimously.
