At the Washington County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, the board heard a presentation and funding request from the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG) for the East Central Iowa Housing Trust Fund (ECIHTF). The ECIHTF is a community-based non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life within Benton, Iowa, Jones, and Washington Counties. As the only certified housing trust fund for the four counties, ECIHTF offers innovative and flexible funding to expand affordable housing opportunities. ECIHTF Executive Director and ECICOG Housing Director Tracey Achenbach states,“ The two things that we have to do is it has to be about housing, and it has to benefit low to moderate-income people. So, in Washington County, a lot of times, we end up using our funds for owner-occupied rehabilitation.” Last year, the ECIHTF applied for $401,325 for Washington County. The program requires a 25% match of local funds. Last year, Washington County committed $3,962 to match the funds received. For the 2024 year, the program is requesting an increase of matching funds based on the population of the county in the amount of $4,754.