The 144 Corridor Housing Initiative (CHI) recently announced its total grant amounts for its second year.

144 CHI Board President Mary Weaver says 26 projects were awarded a total of $25,000 for exterior home improvements in the communities along Iowa Highway 144, including Paton, Grand Junction and Rippey. 144 CHI gives out matching grants of up to $1,000 and this year the $25,000 of grants will help $231,670 of existing home improvements. 

Weaver points out that this year there are $8,000 of additional improvements compared to the over $17,000 given out last year to help with new roofs, windows, doors, sidewalks, tree removals and landscape plantings. In the first two years 144 CHI has been a part of almost $500,000 of exterior improvements in eastern Greene County. Applicants must provide at least half of the funding toward materials to qualify and provide before and after photos. 

Funding for these grants continues to be provided by each of the municipalities in the eastern portion of the county donating ten percent of their funding from Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation, the non-gaming license holder of Wild Rose Casino in Jefferson. Additionally, funds are also from Greene County Development Corporation, the Greene County Board of Supervisors through the Louis Dreyfus grants, the Jefferson Rotary Club, along with Home State Bank, Peoples Bank, Community State Bank and Rolling Hills Bank.

GGCGC also provided $40,000 of grant funding to 144 CHI for their second phase of demolition of properties in those same communities to make the lots buildable again.