A group of local residents and community leaders are banding together to help meet the need for affordable housing throughout Clay County.

The Clay County Local Housing Trust Fund, Inc., was created to assist low income individuals, families and the elderly through grants and low- or no-interest loans to rehabilitate the county's aging housing stock.

"While the push was initiated through the Board of Supervisors, it is governed by its own local board," explained Burlin Matthews, a member of CCLHTF and also a member of the board of supervisors. "We wanted representation from as many different areas of the county as possible."

Seven local residents make up the board: Pam Virelli, Kris Vodraska, Dave Jacobsen, Chad McCarty, Clinton Jones, Bud Meyer and Scott Kramer. Matthews and fellow board of supervisors member Linda Swanson are ex officio members of the body.

Matthews explained that the seed of the idea was planted by an Iowa State University staffer who spoke to the board about housing needs for low income residents over two years ago. Out of that discussion, the idea took off.

The board has been meeting and gathering information for a Housing Assistance Plan, which it presented to the Iowa Finance Authority in July. That state agency is vital to the start-up of the CCLHTF, as the board is seeking a $100,000 grant from IFA to kick off its program.

A final application will be made to the Iowa Finance Authority by October 1. At that time, the local group must have pledges of at least 25 percent of the $100,000 grant request from area sources. That minimum $25,000 local match, the group agrees, will come from both governmental agencies and area businesses and groups interested in economic development.

"We know there is a close relationship between housing needs and employment," Matthews explained. "We need to have affordable housing for our residents."

Prior to the Oct. 1 deadline for the application, the committee is holding a public meeting to gather input from area residents interested in the issue, and to share information about the group's plans.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 15 at the board meeting room at the Clay County Administration Building in Spencer. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend.

A major issue facing Clay County is the percentage of aging housing stock. In Spencer, 22.5 percent of all housing was constructed prior to 1939. The problem is worse in rural areas and in the county's smaller communities. The other nine communities in Clay County have an average of 47.2 percent of their housing constructed prior to 1939.

The studies done by the group show that the older housing units throughout the county are primarily occupied by individuals in the low, very low, and extremely low income range, or by seniors living on fixed incomes. Many of those homes are in need of roof repair, energy efficient furnaces, windows or added insulation.

According to Swanson, the goal is to continue the program indefinitely.

"We see this as a continually growing fund," she said.

Virelli agrees. " 'A continuum of housing' is a term the Iowa Finance Authority uses over and over again in its discussion of the program," she said. "We need to continue to look at needs in Spencer, the outlying communities and the rural areas."

The initial thrust of the group, if their application is approved, will be rehabilitation of current housing stock for low income residents.

"Energy efficiency, windows, furnace replacement -- we're definitely going to be geared toward that," said Jacobsen.

However, the group also said it would look at other needs as well.

"We're going to continue to look at needs," Virelli said. "We can change our plans from year to year, and perhaps look at rental properties as well as owner-occupied units."

In its initial application to the state agency, the local board sought letters of support from area governments and businesses. The response was gratifying.

"We got 67 letters of support," Virelli said.

The CCLHTF will work with local housing agencies as they work to transition renters to home ownership. The board will collaborate with Northwest Iowa Planning and Development Commission, Community Housing Initiatives, Habitat for Humanity and Upper Des Moines Opportunity, Inc. It also plans to collaborate with other agencies as needs warrant.

"This is a new program statewide," Jacobsen explained. "No one knows exactly how it's going to work as we go through the process."

The group hopes to hear whether it is approved for the IFA $100,000 grant by November. Projects could be off and running by early next spring.