A housing developer has received tax credits to move forward with three projects in Jefferson.

According to the Iowa Economic Development Authority, Origin Homes, a division of Hubbell Realty, was awarded a total of $118,008 of federal tax credits to build three single family homes in Jefferson. The IEDA says tax credits are coming from the Workforce Housing Tax Incentive Program for $90,000 and $28,008 is from state sales tax refund. Jefferson City Administrator Scott Peterson says the City Council approved selling three properties to Origin Homes in June at 504 and 506 North Vine Street and 600 West Lincoln Way. 

“So look for that to take off here in the near future. And I talked with the Origin Homes folks that would look to construct all three of them at the same time. They’ll get their crews in here and get things rolling and be adding a little bit more to our housing stock.” 

Peterson notes that this project was the final time the city was able to utilize the designation of an Iowa Thriving Community that the IEDA and Iowa Finance Authority has given to Jefferson for 2024.

“The main benefit out of that is to receive some bonus points on tax credit applications. Those application periods have closed and in fact Origin Homes received their tax credits they would’ve received those bonus points then for Jefferson being a Thriving Community. So (I) like to think we played a little bit of a part in having a successful project come to be.”        

Peterson is pleased with how the Iowa Thriving Community designation has helped bring developers to do various housing projects in town.