Cherokee, Iowa — The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services plans to sell some of its land at the Cherokee Mental Health Institute. HHS Director Kelly Garcia says one reason they’re selling some of the land at the Cherokee facility is to help address that area’s housing crisis.
Like many Iowa communities, affordable housing is at a premium and these parcels of land should both bring a good price and create new places to build.
Garcia says the department plans to host a town hall meeting in Cherokee on Wednesday about the sale. Land surveys are already complete and the properties should be on the market soon.
HHS actually plans on selling some property at all five of its state-owned facilities. In addition to the Cherokee facility, HHS owns and operates the other mental health institution in the state in Independence, as well as the Boys State Training School in Eldora, and the Woodward and Glenwood Resource Centers. Glenwood is slated to close next year.
