Reynolds signs ‘Empower Rural Iowa Act’
Wilton, Iowa – Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a bill boosting state investment in rural Iowa.
The Empower Rural Iowa Act includes $25 million in tax credits for home builders, for construction in rural communities.
State housing tax credits will no longer be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis either. Home builders will have to submit to a competitive bidding process to win the state grants. The Empower Rural Iowa Act also updates the rules for handing out another $5 million in state grants to companies that extend broadband to underserved rural areas.
The bill Reynolds signed into law creates a new “Center for Rural Revitalization” in state government. The center’s charge is to find and support leaders in Iowa’s rural communities.
