Empower Rural Iowa funding will support housing development, child care planning and business growth across the state.
DES MOINES, Iowa (October 14, 2026) — Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) announced $385,000 in Empower Rural Iowa grants to support 15 rural communities.
The awards will help communities expand housing options, assess local housing needs, address child care challenges and develop strategies for business and community growth. Funding is distributed through four programs administered by IEDA’s Center for Rural Revitalization.
Rural Housing Innovation Receives $225,000
Through the Rural Innovation: Housing 2.0 program, Atlantic, Eldora, Greenfield and Knoxville each received $50,000. Elkader received $25,000.
Selected from 12 applications, the projects will advance creative approaches to increasing and improving rural Iowa’s housing supply.
Eldora Prepares Sites for New Housing
Eldora will remove six to eight vacant, deteriorated homes that are unsuitable for rehabilitation, creating redevelopment-ready lots for new housing.
Working with local partners, the city will coordinate property acquisition, environmental reviews, asbestos inspections and demolition. The cleared sites will then be packaged to attract a developer.
The project aims to improve neighborhood conditions and address a shortage of homes priced approximately between $150,000 and $250,000.
Elkader Develops Housing Tool Kit for Residential Lots
Elkader will create a housing development tool kit for 11 residential lots in its Breezy Summit subdivision.
The project will provide site-specific concepts, including floor plans, exterior designs and 3D visuals. Several lots are suitable for Homes for Iowa, a nonprofit that trains incarcerated Iowans in building trades, while others will require different home designs.
The tool kit will also compile financing options from local lenders to help builders and prospective buyers move projects toward construction.
Greenfield Expands Affordable Senior Housing
Paramount Development of Clive will preserve and relocate 10 federally assisted senior cottages to a one-acre site in Greenfield.
Six modular homes currently in storage will be rehabilitated and placed on permanent foundations. Four occupied cottages will be rehabilitated and relocated as they become vacant.
The project will address housing needs intensified by the 2024 tornado and provide 10 affordable, accessible rental homes for seniors earning 30% or less of area median income.
Five Communities Receive Housing Readiness Grants
Alta, Avoca, Bellevue, Washington and Winterset each received a $20,000 Rural Housing Readiness Assessment grant, totaling $100,000.
The communities will work with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach to evaluate housing needs and develop strategies to guide local housing investment and development.
Algona Grant Supports Child Care Planning
The Algona Growth Alliance received $20,000 through the Rural Child Care Planning program.
In partnership with national nonprofit First Children’s Finance, the alliance will analyze local data and identify solutions tailored to the community’s child care needs.
Rural BOOST Awards Support Business and Community Growth
Bloomfield, Centerville, Sheldon and Sidney each received $10,000 through the Rural Building Ownership and Organization by Strengthening Teams (BOOST) program.
The program connects community and business leaders with experts who help develop and implement plans for their next stage of growth.
Bloomfield Coordinates Community Promotion
Fairfield-based Pathfinders Resource Conservation & Development Inc. will bring together city and county leaders, Bloomfield Main Street, the chamber and other partners to promote Bloomfield and Davis County.
The project will highlight local history, businesses, events, recreation and quality of life. Grant funding will support a unified communications strategy, shared messaging and a coordinated promotion calendar.
The effort aims to help local partners reach residents, visitors, employers, prospective families and investors.
Centerville Addresses Downtown Business Challenges
Centerville’s project will focus on entrepreneurship, business succession and vacant commercial space.
Despite more than $13 million in private downtown investment since 2014, first-floor commercial vacancies are at their highest level in approximately a decade. Longtime business owners also face succession challenges.
A BOOST team will assist the Centerville Chamber of Commerce, doing business as Promoting Appanoose & Centerville Together (PACT Iowa), in identifying ways to support entrepreneurs, prepare for business transitions and return vacant spaces to productive use.
About Empower Rural Iowa Grants
Empower Rural Iowa grants are administered by IEDA’s Center for Rural Revitalization and funded through an Iowa Legislature appropriation for the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative.
Applicants must provide matching funds. Projects are evaluated based on economic need, partnerships, readiness and alignment with strategic goals.
Eligible communities have fewer than 20,000 residents and are not adjacent to cities with populations of 40,000 or more.
Learn more about programs, eligibility and future opportunities through the Center for Rural Revitalization webpage, or download the full list of Empower Rural Iowa award recipients.
Media Contact:
Kanan Kappelman
Iowa Economic Development Authority
515.348.6248
communications@iowaeda.com
