Edited release
09/07/23
The Housing Fellowship, with the help of student builders, have begun construction on a new, single-family home in Iowa City’s Northside Neighborhood.
Once completed, this project will provide a two-bedroom, energy efficient home at 724 Ronalds Street, in a neighborhood experiencing limited affordable housing options. The program will also provide training for the next generation of skilled home builders.
The Housing Fellowship partnered with the Iowa City Community School District’s Student Built House Program, the Iowa City Home Builders Association, the City of Iowa City, and the Vocational Training Council.
According to a release from the City, the home will adhere to historic standards, be energy efficient, and will use high school student trainees as part of their school curriculum. Assuming this project is successful, construction of a second home next door will occur in the next school year to offer further opportunities for the Student Built Home Program.
The site was formerly home to a dilapidated, dangerous structure that has since been demolished.
Design of the home has been approved by the City of Iowa City’s Historic Preservation Commission. Construction was scheduled to begin Wednesday, with a second home being built during the 2024-25 school year.
Additional partners involved in this project are Sueppel’s Building and Remodeling, C-Wise Design and Consulting, The Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County, Axiom Consultants, and First Interstate Bank. Grant funds and donations are also being sought.