Governor proposes consolidation of housing programs

Governor Tom Vilsack wants to consolidate state government housing programs so lenders and potential homeowners can more easily negotiate the red tape. Vilsack’s own “housing task force” concluded 54-thousand Iowa homeowners live in “sub-standard” housing.Vilsack proposes using the eight million dollars from the now-closed Iowa Housing Corporation, along with seven-and-a-half million from other state housing programs to start a trust fund.Vilsack says a recent study found there’s a financing gap in rural Iowa.Vilsack says if his plan is enacted, the state can leverage up to a billion dollars of private sector home construction over the next 10 years.