Area-wide Housing Enterprises and Development, Inc.

An outgrowth of the RPC’s housing activities was the creation of the rural regional Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO), Area-wide Housing Enterprises and Development, Inc. (AHEAD, Inc.) is an affiliate organization of the Area 15 RPC in that the RPC staff provides administrative oversight of the program.

AHEAD, Inc., a non-profit corporation, was formed in 1995 to provide a variety of housing services to citizens of the regional neighborhood. The Southern Iowa Home Ownership Program (SIHO) from AHEAD, Inc. provides first-time homebuyer down payment assistance loans to employed persons who live and work in our Region.  The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD was the initial funding source for this homebuyer revolving loan fund (RLF).   The initial capitalization of this RLF was a $ 150,000 grant.  Through December 2003 AHEAD has extended loans in excess of $ 376,000 to 88 first-time homeowner households.

Additionally, AHEAD, Inc. is working with local governments in the removal of abandoned, blighted residential structures and the “one for one” replacement with new, single-family, owner-occupied housing units.   AHEAD, Inc. received a $60,000 grant from Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) and HUD under their Rural Home Building Initiative (RHBI) program. Under this program, AHEAD, Inc. acquires  properties, demolishes the blighted structures and prepare the site for new housing development.  Once the redevelopment site is sold,  the proceeds from the sale of this “in-fill” site are returned to the RHBI fund for additional acquisition/demolition/ redevelopment activities.

last updated June, 2006