Rock Rapids, Iowa — The City of Rock Rapids is looking to add some affordable housing after the loss of several homes in the aftermath of the flood of 2014.
Several Rock Rapids residents who lived near the Rock River and Moon Creek found their homes destroyed, unlivable, or unsafe. The City of Rock Rapids has been partnering with the federal government for a buyout program in which the city uses federal funds to help buy the property, demolishes the structures, and then turns the property into permanent green space so any future flood causes less damage. The two neighborhoods now look very different, with few to no homes remaining.
Rock Rapids Mayor Jason Chase tells us that the City of Rock Rapids is trying to address the problem of having so many fewer places for people to live. He says a housing project is being planned in which the houses would be in the range of $170,000 or less.
Chase says all ten houses probably wouldn’t be built at once, but they’d like to have them built in the next couple of years.
Chase says the houses will probably be fairly similar but there will be some room for customization. He tells us it will probably be done in a way similar to how he’s seen other communities are doing it.
Chase says they’re also considering other plans and incentives. He says at this point nothing is set in stone and it’s all theory. He says for more information or to submit a proposal, you can contact Rock Rapids Development Director Micah Freese at 712-472-4585.
Photo caption: The west end of Sixth Avenue in Rock Rapids, looking west. The new homes would be built here, southeast of the Borman-Forster Soccer Fields
