The Iowa Association of Councils of Governments (ICOG) is putting their support behind an idea that could potentially reduce some housing problems in the state and cut back on recidivism rates for prisoners. Region XII Council of Governments Executive Director, Rick Hunsaker, says the Iowa Legislature and Iowa Prison Industries (IPI) are hoping to borrow from a very successful program from our neighbors to the northwest.
The potential Iowa program does not have an official name at this time, but the people and organizations advocating for it refer to it as the Rural Housing Initiative. If approved and funded during the next legislative session, prisoners at the Newton Correctional facility would build homes that would then be shipped to areas in need of affordable housing. Hunsaker says having prisoners provide the labor would meet the first goal of the initiative: preparing prisoners for their eventual release.
Prisoners would be paid for their work while incarcerated, but about 80 percent of that pay would go to cover fines, restitution, court costs and room and board. According to Hunsaker, it will also cut back on crime because inmates involved in South Dakota’s home construction program have a 35 percent lower recidivism rate compared to the general prison population. Early estimates indicate the Rural Housing Initiative could produce as many as 200 homes per year, and he says just adding a few new residences to a community can be a boon for everyone that lives and works in that region.
The program will likely target areas at or below the Iowa median household income, or about $56,000 per year. Homes could be built for as little as $61,000 at the Newton Correctional Facility and sold between $100,000 and $120,000 after extraneous costs, such as foundation installation, lot purchases and utility connections, are accounted for. Hunsaker says one of the most surprising parts of the initiative is that it would only require a one-time investment of a few million dollars from the state to become operational.
ICOG will incorporate a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Homes for Iowa, to operate the Rural Homes Initiative. Hunsaker says he is cautiously optimistic the program will be approved and funded by the end of the next legislative session in May. He and his colleagues are in the process of gathering support from cities and counties to present to lawmakers.
