A central Iowa company that develops real estate and manages properties is starting its second annual Hometown Tours in Iowa cities where housing is in high demand and businesses are eager to find workers.
Chace Hauschilt, a development and operations specialist with Kading Properties, says they’re hearing from many communities that are in need of new homes, but he says the Urbandale-based company can’t get to them all.
“The Hometown Tours allow our team to spend an entire day within the community and it really gives the community an opportunity to showcase what makes their community unique,” Hauschilt says. “We’re also engaging in discussions with local civic leaders and local employers about what their current housing needs are, and if we may be able to help with that.”
This year’s tour will kick off with Webster City on Thursday, with stops planned in the coming weeks in Mason City, Fort Dodge, Fairfield, and Denison.
“We meet with a lot of local city leaders, city officials, and then we also meet with a lot of the larger employers in the areas,” Hauschilt says. “Maybe they’re looking to expand or maybe they’re having a hard time retaining and attracting talent and they’re interested in new housing opportunities.”
Kading has already built what it calls “workforce housing” in 28 Iowa communities over the past five decades.
“What we develop is townhome-style leased housing,” Hauschilt says. “We have two-bedroom and three-bedroom options and those could be anywhere from 850 to 1,300 square foot. We do provide all of the property management, so mowing the lawn, any landscape issues and any other maintenance issues, we take care of all of that for our residents.”
By eliminating the need for long commutes, the company says it helps employers retain skilled labor and boosts local economies, while saving families time and money on travel and fuel. Hauschilt says they price the homes accordingly.
“Typically, it’s around 80% of the area median income,” he says. “Our goal is always to try to fit that within the different communities and we see that we’re oftentimes around a dollar a square foot within the communities, but it just depends on what the workers are getting paid within the community and what the need is within it as well.”
A Kading news release says each of the five stops on the tour “highlights a unique Iowa town and the role attainable housing plays in building a stronger, more sustainable future for Iowans.”