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Ken Lyons, President and CEO, NeighborWorks Home Solutions
Challenge: Vacant lots and dilapidated homes blight neighborhoods across Council Bluffs, Iowa, where moderate and low income residents are in need of quality affordable housing. The unsightly lots cost the city in lost tax revenue and contribute to the neighborhoods' economic and social decline. Meanwhile, students at Iowa Western Community College can profit from building new homes on those lots, gaining practical experience in the field of construction technology and advancing their employment and academic goals.
The city of Council Bluffs, Iowa, has a large inventory of vacant lots and abandoned homes that cost the city in lost tax revenue. The dilapidated houses and blighted properties plague neighborhoods across the city. Building new homes on those lots would not only provide much needed revenue for the city, it could give firsttime homebuyers and moderate and low income residents access to quality affordable housing.
NeighborWorks Home Solutions (NWHS), a nonprofit promoting quality affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization, responded to these challenges by establishing a program with the City Planning Department and Iowa Western Community College (IWCC). Both NWHS and IWCC have had their own individual programs for years, but the collaboration was enhanced and made more fruitful for all three partners. The partnership formed in 2011 gives the school's construction technology students the chance to build two houses each academic year, equipping them with hands-on skills and broadening and strengthening their employment options. The homes go to moderate and low income residents, with NWHS often helping families by augmenting down payment assistance when needed to buy their first home. The city provides the building sites from its inventory of vacant lots and down payment assistance to the homebuyers. In return, it gets stable homeowners who will maintain the homes and revitalize the neighborhoods, putting money into the city's coffers.
And the homebuyers get affordable, quality homes with new technology and energyefficient systems. They also experience the pride in changing from renter to homeowner.
Joseph and Victoria Pfaff love their "beautifully constructed home built by the students of IWCC. It is unbelievable that we are able to own such a gorgeous home. We hope the [program] lasts forever and allows other first time buyers such an opportunity. We will always be grateful. We truly feel blessed."
Vernon Dye also welcomed the opportunity to own his home, and he's impressed with its construction. "I cannot believe the quality of craftsmanship that was put into our home," he said. "I am so happy and proud of my new home."
NWHS coordinates the other agencies' work, funds the construction, provides management oversight, markets the property, obtains qualified buyers and handles the sale. Every year, without exception, each property has paid for itself and thus ensures the program's sustainability. The quality of work and innovative technology and products that go into the homes make them charming and highly marketable. Buyers benefit by providing their families a desirable home along with financial and personal stability. Local businesses, subcontractors, realtors and lenders all benefit from the additional business and income.
The partnership allows IWCC to focus on what it does best teach and prepare students for the job market. Previously, IWCC had to develop the site and handle the financing and sale of the property. By taking over these functions, NWHS allows IWCC to focus on their primary responsibility teaching.
The students are perhaps the partnership's biggest beneficiaries. They learn that there is more to constructing a home than simply pounding a nail into a board. While building a real house they are involved in all aspects of the construction process while working in real world elements and uncertain conditions. They are taught the value of planning and cooperation when dealing with material suppliers and a plethora of trade specialists. And knowing that the home is the buyer's first instills a sense of genuine pride and sense of community.
This program has also successfully met the students' academic goals. Over the last five years, the IWCC program has matriculated 30-60 students per year and graduated over 80 percent of the students. Ninety percent of the graduates either go into the workforce, adding to the number of local construction workers, or they have gone on for higher degrees. All residual revenues from the project helps fund scholarships.
The benefits to NWHS have been numerous, with the construction of two new homes every year we are turning more renters into buyers. We have also increased the number of our partnerships and beneficiaries exponentially. The Iowa West Foundation provides initial funding for construction. American National Bank offers followup construction loans to sustain the program's cash flow needs. NP Dodge Realtors donates the cost of listing and brokerage fees and commissions for the sale of the homes which are, in turn, earmarked for additional construction technology scholarship awards.
The collaboration has also provided our organization with an invaluable and very informative experience. We've learned new internal communication practices to meet the daily functional needs of the program and how to forge an annual reporting and evaluation schedule based on agreed upon measurable metrics. The most essential elements for our success include influential partnerships, down payment assistance, a practical hands-on teaching environment and the city's unwavering support in securing properties.
Challenge: Vacant lots and dilapidated homes blight neighborhoods across Council Bluffs, Iowa, where moderate and low income residents are in need of quality affordable housing. The unsightly lots cost the city in lost tax revenue and contribute to the neighborhoods' economic and social decline. Meanwhile, students at Iowa Western Community College can profit from building new homes on those lots, gaining practical experience in the field of construction technology and advancing their employment and academic goals.
The city of Council Bluffs, Iowa, has a large inventory of vacant lots and abandoned homes that cost the city in lost tax revenue. The dilapidated houses and blighted properties plague neighborhoods across the city. Building new homes on those lots would not only provide much needed revenue for the city, it could give firsttime homebuyers and moderate and low income residents access to quality affordable housing.
NeighborWorks Home Solutions (NWHS), a nonprofit promoting quality affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization, responded to these challenges by establishing a program with the City Planning Department and Iowa Western Community College (IWCC). Both NWHS and IWCC have had their own individual programs for years, but the collaboration was enhanced and made more fruitful for all three partners. The partnership formed in 2011 gives the school's construction technology students the chance to build two houses each academic year, equipping them with hands-on skills and broadening and strengthening their employment options. The homes go to moderate and low income residents, with NWHS often helping families by augmenting down payment assistance when needed to buy their first home. The city provides the building sites from its inventory of vacant lots and down payment assistance to the homebuyers. In return, it gets stable homeowners who will maintain the homes and revitalize the neighborhoods, putting money into the city's coffers.
And the homebuyers get affordable, quality homes with new technology and energyefficient systems. They also experience the pride in changing from renter to homeowner.
Joseph and Victoria Pfaff love their "beautifully constructed home built by the students of IWCC. It is unbelievable that we are able to own such a gorgeous home. We hope the [program] lasts forever and allows other first time buyers such an opportunity. We will always be grateful. We truly feel blessed."
Vernon Dye also welcomed the opportunity to own his home, and he's impressed with its construction. "I cannot believe the quality of craftsmanship that was put into our home," he said. "I am so happy and proud of my new home."
NWHS coordinates the other agencies' work, funds the construction, provides management oversight, markets the property, obtains qualified buyers and handles the sale. Every year, without exception, each property has paid for itself and thus ensures the program's sustainability. The quality of work and innovative technology and products that go into the homes make them charming and highly marketable. Buyers benefit by providing their families a desirable home along with financial and personal stability. Local businesses, subcontractors, realtors and lenders all benefit from the additional business and income.The partnership allows IWCC to focus on what it does best teach and prepare students for the job market. Previously, IWCC had to develop the site and handle the financing and sale of the property. By taking over these functions, NWHS allows IWCC to focus on their primary responsibility teaching.
The students are perhaps the partnership's biggest beneficiaries. They learn that there is more to constructing a home than simply pounding a nail into a board. While building a real house they are involved in all aspects of the construction process while working in real world elements and uncertain conditions. They are taught the value of planning and cooperation when dealing with material suppliers and a plethora of trade specialists. And knowing that the home is the buyer's first instills a sense of genuine pride and sense of community.
This program has also successfully met the students' academic goals. Over the last five years, the IWCC program has matriculated 30-60 students per year and graduated over 80 percent of the students. Ninety percent of the graduates either go into the workforce, adding to the number of local construction workers, or they have gone on for higher degrees. All residual revenues from the project helps fund scholarships.
The benefits to NWHS have been numerous, with the construction of two new homes every year we are turning more renters into buyers. We have also increased the number of our partnerships and beneficiaries exponentially. The Iowa West Foundation provides initial funding for construction. American National Bank offers followup construction loans to sustain the program's cash flow needs. NP Dodge Realtors donates the cost of listing and brokerage fees and commissions for the sale of the homes which are, in turn, earmarked for additional construction technology scholarship awards.
The collaboration has also provided our organization with an invaluable and very informative experience. We've learned new internal communication practices to meet the daily functional needs of the program and how to forge an annual reporting and evaluation schedule based on agreed upon measurable metrics. The most essential elements for our success include influential partnerships, down payment assistance, a practical hands-on teaching environment and the city's unwavering support in securing properties.
