Nearly $200,000 has been spent so far this year to improve homes in Washington County through the East Central Iowa Housing Trust Fund. ECICOG Housing Director Tracy Achenbach explained at this week’s county board of supervisors meeting how those funds were disbursed, “In the last 11 months, we have either assisted or awarded project that helped 13 households and dedicated $190,603 more in Washington County. Now part of that is the City of Washington, because they stepped up last year and helped with local match and then in turn we’re helping them with an owner-occupied rehab program in the City of Washington, but it also includes some other funding that we have spent.”

She added that in the last year, the $1 million milestone for improvements locally was reached. Also, through working with the Federal Loan Home Bank Program, which is an owner-occupy repair program, there are six households in Washington County coming up on their list for consideration. Since 2011, she says 145 households in Washington County have been assisted. It serves Washington, Benton, Jones and Iowa Counties and it is funded with local matches from each county and state funds.