Housing Innovation Pitch Competitions Take Center Stage
For immediate release:
Aug. 26, 2024
Contact:
Ashley Jared, 515-452-0474
(DES MOINES) – The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) will host the 2024 HousingIowa Conference Sept. 4-6 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. The conference is Iowa’s premier housing event, drawing nearly 1,000 housing professionals for discussions on timely housing topics in Iowa and networking with Iowa housing leaders. The event is open to anyone interested in learning more about housing in Iowa.
IFA today announced the finalists for three Innovation in Housing Pitch Competitions aimed at addressing housing needs at every level of the housing continuum, challenging leaders to think innovatively about how to implement new approaches to alleviate housing barriers. Finalists will pitch their proposals to industry judges at the HousingIowa Conference.
Innovation in Homelessness Incubator
The Iowa Innovation in Homelessness Incubator called for forward-thinking proposals from housing and community leaders across Iowa for innovative ways to implement new approaches to alleviate homelessness in our state. The goal is to redefine the landscape of homelessness prevention and response systems and rethink how assistance for persons experiencing homelessness in Iowa is delivered. The winning pitch will receive funding of up to $100,000 to transform their concept into a pilot initiative.
Finalists:
Housing Fund for Linn County
Shelter House, Iowa City
Jennie Edmundson Foundation, Council Bluffs
Rental Housing Innovation Pitch Competition
The Rental Housing Innovation Pitch Competition will showcase development teams that have been named as finalists in the groundbreaking Federal Housing Tax Credit Innovation Set-Aside award competition. The session will feature highly innovative projects that respond to a state housing need. The winning proposal will have an opportunity to receive up to $10 million in Federal Housing Tax Credits over a 10-year period to make their project a reality in an Iowa community.
Finalists:
Goldfinch Lofts, Developer: Cutler Development
Milestone Meadows, Developer: MCC Development
New Day Crossing, Developer: Woda Cooper Companies
Iowa Homeownership Incubator
IFA and the Iowa Association of REALTORS® are hosting the third annual Iowa Homeownership Incubator Competition. This incubator challenges Iowa lending institutions, real estate and housing professionals to think innovatively about the future of homeownership and advancing financial literacy around homeownership among all Iowans. The winning pitch will be awarded $20,000 to educate Iowans about financial literacy as it relates to homeownership.
Finalists:
Benchmark Mortgage
Frontier Home Loans
eXp Realty
Residential Mortgage Network, Inc.
More information about the conference, innovation finalists and registration are available at housingiowaconference.com.