Mount Ayr wants to address housing needs
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Information provided by the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Data for Decision Makers, Mount Ayr, Iowa City Profile Report as of September 26, 2024. More information can be found by visiting the ISU Extension and Outreach Indicators website at https://indicators.extension.iastate.edu Source: 2U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey 2018-2022
As the demand for new or available housing grows, the need to preserve the existing single-family housing stock also increases, in order to keep pace with aging homeowner mobility and accessibility needs.
A pressing need for home rehabilitation and preservation is one of three concerns the Iowa Finance Authority has identified statewide. The average age of homes in Iowa is 50 years old, as the median year homes were built in Iowa is 1955, making Iowa’s housing stock the eighth oldest in the nation.
The median year homes were built in Mount Ayr is 1950 according to Iowa housing data snapshot that looks at 5-year US Census Bureau ACS between 2018-2022. The majority of homes were built prior to 1940.
Home owners occupy 69% of houses, while renters occupy 31% of homes. The median home rent in Mount Ayr is $686.
The median home value is $115,800, and median residential property value is $145,580.
The Iowa Finance Authority has projected there will be 1,766 households in Ringgold County by 2030, while the projected home supply is estimated at 1,733 dwellings, leaving a need for 32 additional housing units.
Rising supply costs have driven the cost of building a new home in Iowa to approximately $200,000-$300,000, regardless of where the house is located.
According to local home builders, the cost of renovating existing homes is presently cheaper than the cost of building a new home.
The City of Mount Ayr began discussing how to address roughly 40 vacant homes and other nuisance properties in the summer of 2023.
Since initial discussions in June of 2023, city leaders have been meeting with the Ringgold County Development Corporation (RCDC) to form a housing committee.
Jodie Geist, Paul Glendenning and Kim Greenland serve as representatives for the RCDC, while Mack Greene and Jessica Murphy sit on the housing committee as representatives for the City of Mount Ayr along with City Administrator Brent Wise.
The committee has been meeting since May, and is now seeking to grow the group to include community leaders, builders, developers, and financial institutions to create a plan to address housing needs and inventory potential sites for development.
Those interested in joining the committee can reach out to RCDC by phone at 641-464-3704 or by email ringgolddevelopment@gmail or contact Brent Wise, City Administrator: brentwise@mountayriowa.com OR call/stop in to City Hall.
City of Mount Ayr
200 South Taylor Street
Mount Ayr, Iowa 50854
Ph: 641-464-2402
Office Hours:
M-F 8:00A.M. – 4:30P.M.
