GARNER — A state housing program that uses incarcerated workers to build affordable homes has officially arrived in North Central Iowa, with Garner now home to the first Homes for Iowa house in NIACOG’s region.
The North Iowa Area Council of Governments, based in Mason City, announced that Garner holds the distinction of receiving the region’s first Homes for Iowa home, a program promoted as a way to provide lower-cost housing while helping inmates learn construction skills and trades.
The Garner family that purchased the home said they first learned about the program through a City Council role and chose the Homes for Iowa option over a conventional new build because of the fixed cost. According to NIACOG, the model purchased by the family currently sells for $108,000 delivered.
For the buyers, the appeal was predictability. They said having much of the project completed at a fixed amount helped reduce the risk of unknown costs and kept the project under control.
The family also said they liked that the program gives Iowans access to more affordable housing while also giving inmates a chance to gain useful job skills.
Homes for Iowa houses are built off-site and then transported to their final location. In Garner, the family said the ordering process went smoothly and HFI staff were available to answer questions along the way. When delivery day arrived, the family said the major logistics were handled for them.
“All they had to do was show up and watch them set the house on the foundation,” NIACOG noted in its announcement.
After the home was delivered and placed, the Garner homeowners made several improvements of their own. They installed a driveway, built a garage, added a gabled front porch to give the house more depth, and also plan to finish the basement.
The family said one of their favorite things about the home is the quality of materials, including 2-by-6 walls, windows, siding, insulation and cabinets.
One homeowner offered a blunt piece of advice to anyone hesitant about the program because the home is built by inmates: “Don’t let the prison part scare you away.”
The homeowner added that several contractors had looked at the home and agreed it was well built, including an HVAC worker who gave the heating and cooling system approval.
The arrival of the first Homes for Iowa house in Garner comes as communities across North Iowa continue looking for ways to address housing shortages, construction costs and the need for more affordable homeownership options.
For smaller cities and rural communities, new housing can be difficult to build at a price many working families can afford. NIACOG’s announcement points to the Homes for Iowa model as one option that may help communities add homes at a more predictable cost while still allowing buyers to customize or expand after delivery.
The Garner home also shows that the delivered house is not necessarily the final product. With the garage, driveway, front porch and future basement plans, the family turned the basic home into something more personalized while keeping the original build cost controlled.
NIACOG says residents can learn more about the program through Homes for Iowa.
(TOP PHOTO of Garner home via NIACOG.)