During the 2022 NADO Annual Training Conference, Mike Norris shared the work of the Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission to support the development of housing in Iowa.

1. www.homesforia.com
Homes for Iowa

2. Homes for Iowa - Principles
• Train incarcerated men in the building trades by building homes
• Provide a new pipeline of talent for Iowa employers
• Reduce recidivism
• Produce high-quality, affordable homes for Iowans delivered
statewide

3. Homes for Iowa Homes:
• Quality: 2x6 construction, attention to detail, good materials
• Efficient: R49-attic, R-29 walls with thermal break, air sealed, heat rec. ventilation
• Flexible: Main floor living, or expand into a basement
• Add-on friendly: Garage, addition, deck
• 3BR 2BA or 2BR 1BA homes
• 3BR Cost Delivered: $90,000 (2022)
• 2BR Cost Delivered: $76,000 (2022)
• Anyone can develop the home: Private, public, non-proft, individual
• Home is shipped complete but without finished floors (wiring, plumbing, drywalled, trim,
cabinets, etc.

4. Homes for Iowa Homes:
Buyer Eligibility and Restrictions
• Ultimate buyer household income under $100,000 taxable
• Cannot rent home for five years
• If appraisal higher than purchase price, HFI claws back that
amount upon sale; amount recedes evenly each month for 60
months
• If appraisal is not higher than purchase price, no clawback
• Must be primary residence for five years

5. Homes for Iowa Homes:

7. Homes for Iowa Homes:

8. Homes for Iowa Homes:

9. Homes are built complete – owners need
provide flooring and appliances only

10. Homes are built complete – owners need
provide flooring and appliances only

11. The Governor’s House program in South
Dakota provided the model for Iowa.

12. Homes for Iowa is private/public
partnership
Public: Iowa Prison Industries
Builds and moves homes, trains men, manages site
Private: Homes for Iowa, Inc.
A 501c3 organization, sets program policies (buyer eligibility, number
of homes built, types of homes to build), pays for home building,
takes home orders, sells homes to buyers/developers

13. Homes for Iowa Closely partners with
Iowa COGs
Iowa COGs led formation of the program with Iowa Prison Industries
Iowa COGs originate all sales orders and administer buyer requirements
via contract
First homes were developed via Iowa COGs

14. Homes for Iowa Board of Directors and
Partners

15. The HFI program enjoys support from builders,
housing advocates and elected officials

16. HFI homes are stick built, and delivered
across the state to Iowa communities

17. HFI homes are stick built, and delivered
across the state to Iowa communities

18. Homes for Iowa can deliver to all 99
counties in Iowa

19. Homes are set on your basement or
crawl space

20. Homes are set on your basement or
crawl space

21. Iowa communities improve their
housing stock with HFI homes

22. Men at the Newton Correctional Facility
learn building trades prior to release
25 crew members have spent six months or more with the program
Over 150 crew members have worked for the program, total
An employer/crew member connection system is in development

23. HFI Offers Apprenticeship Programs

24. HFI Offers Certificate Training

25. Crewmembers
• Crewmembers are minimum-security offenders near release from
medium-security sentences
• Crewmembers apply and are interviewed for HFI positions (voluntary)
• HFI competes for crewmembers with private employment opportunities
• March 2021-2022 1-year recidivism rates are 8% for crewmembers who
are fully trained (six months or more in program)
• 100 men have been trained for at least six months
• Additional data from State of Iowa forthcoming on median earnings,
industry employment, and unemployment rate

26. The HFI building site at the Newton
Correctional Facility

27. The HFI program is a new source of skilled
tradespeople for Iowa employers

28. Helen Miller | Chair
Iowa Board of Parole
“there is a need on the part of
the community as well as a need
on the part of the returning
citizen. Our building program has
effectively met both of these
needs. As a board of parole,
participation in this program
provides for a favorable
consideration for release."

29. Jay Iverson, CAE, IOM
Executive Officer
Home Builders Association of Iowa
The Home Builders Association of Iowa is so
thankful for this program. What could be better
than providing affordable housing, training
workers for unlimited quantities of jobs, and
helping to keep offenders out of the system?
A former offender told me a few weeks ago - "I'm
making doctor level money with my skillset and
without a college degree."

30. Andy Roberts | Business Manager
Plumbers & Steamfitters Local #33
Plumbers & Steamfitters Local #33 are proud to
continue our partnership with Homes for Iowa to
help with the ongoing shortage of skilled trades
members.
This successful program helps in establishing skilled
trades training in the fields of plumbing, electrical,
and carpentry to offenders who are scheduled to be
released back into the community.
Offenders can use these skills to begin their journey
into one of the many highly successful and
recognized Union Building Trades Registered
Apprenticeship programs.

31. Lance Henning | President & Executive Director
Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity
“Iowa needs 47,000 new homes in the next
decade and 40% of those need to be
affordable to Iowans earning less than
$50,000 per year.”
“The Homes for Iowa model provides a solid
approach that can be scaled as one of the
multiple solutions needed to meet this
affordable housing demand.”
“It is a needed housing and training program
that’s a thumbs-up all around.”

32. American Recovery & Reinvestment Act
• Gov. Kim Reynolds allocated $10 million to grow and sustain the
program
• Warehouse, home moving setup, materials and professional staff
• “Scale the program”
• State of Iowa has been extremely supportive of program, both private
and publicly.
○ Gov. Kim Reynolds
○ Iowa Finance Authority, Dir. Debi Durham
○ State Senator Mark Lofgren
○ Iowa Dept of Corrections
○ Iowa Association of Councils of Governments
○ Home Builders’ Association of Iowa
○ Iowa Habitat for Humanity
○ Many, many others!

33. Improve crewmember/employer connections
Create wraparound crewmember benefits
Perfect order system communications for pre, during,
and post-move times
Grow the program to 100 homes delivered and 100
crewmembers trained annually.
Homes for Iowa Future

34. 55 Total Deliveries 2020-2022

35. Sample Costs to Develop
• Anywhere from $165,000 to $220,000ish
• Depends on conditions -
○ Land price
○ Basement or crawlspace
○ Developer profit or not
○ Garage
○ Finished basement
• Homes for Iowa Cost $90,000
• Basement/concrete/util $40,000
• Garage $20,000
• Lot $15,000
• Flooring $6,000
• Site carpentry $12,000
• Developer fee $12,000
TOTAL $195,000 or $162/sf

36. THANK YOU
Mike Norris, Executive Director
Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission
President, Homes for Iowa, Inc.
www.homesforia.com