Sioux City is helping developers finance two apartment projects, including one that gives new life to an old school, in order to meet the city's housing needs.
“There will be 71 total units of affordable housing created. But there is such a need in our community for affordable housing,” City of Sioux City Neighborhood Services Supervisor Amy Keairns said.
Keairns said that demand extends throughout the state. The Iowa Finance Authority estimates that by 2030, there will be a shortage of 55,000 rental homes for lower-income Iowans. Currently, more than 20% of the lowest earners spend more than half of their income on housing costs.
Iowa Finance Authority
The Iowa Finance Authority's graphic shows the need for affordable housing. AMI is the area medium income.
The two Sioux City projects will also include a total of eight units for unhoused people, including outreach services.
“So, they can be self-sufficient and then hopefully live on their own,” Keairns said.
Keairns said the city is trying to do more to help the less fortunate in the community. During her 15 years on the job, she said the community has helped create hundreds of housing units.
She said that in the past, the city would funnel federal money toward other organizations but is now taking a proactive approach by working directly with people to figure out the cause of their homelessness.
Sheila Brummer/IPR
Amy Keairns is the neighborhood services supervisor for Sioux City. "It's always nice to continue to stabilize older neighborhoods by providing any type of housing, especially affordable housing," she said.
“We have really stepped up our game,” Keairns said. “We've been noticing gaps in helping people in the community. So, we have been offering programs out of our office as well during the past two to three years.”
But she said she wishes the city could do more to help.
“We're limited by the dollars we receive,” Kearins said. “And we're always seeking out other opportunities for additional funding and additional partnerships to try and do even more in terms of new housing units and services.”
Sheila Brummer/IPR
This empty lot near Sioux City's former Everett Elementary school will be the site of the new Asher apartments. The $8 million project by developer Arch Icon includes 30 affordable housing units.
The city awarded the two contractors a total of more than $1.2 million of American Rescue Plan money. The program launched by the federal government provided relief during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keairns says construction should begin this spring, and the apartments should be ready for people to move in next year.