Independence Conducting Survey to Develop Housing Action Plan

The City of Independence is partnering with ISU Extension & Outreach for a groundbreaking initiative to enhance the community’s housing.

It’s called the Rural Housing Readiness Assessment (RHRA) program – and it’s a proven success in over 40 rural Iowa communities, recognized for its excellence in developing housing action plans.

City Manager Matthew Schmitz says the process started earlier this year when the City applied for the Iowa Driving Communities Grant. But they had not completed a rural housing readiness assessment grant, which feeds into the grant program, so they were ultimately denied the grant – which led to this new initiative.

Like most area communities, Schmitz says it’s hard to find a place to live in Independence right now – something he found out personally.

The City of Independence is inviting you to be a part of this transformative process. Schmitz says your input is crucial to identifying the housing needs in Independence – whether you’re a resident, someone who works in Independence or are interested in moving to town.

The survey will play a big part in determining how Independence moves forward with their housing situation – and Schmitz says it’s easy to fill out.

You can find a link to the survey HERE. Schmitz says they’d like to have the Independence housing survey completed by the end of January. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the Independence City Hall.