Housing

in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 30, 2025

SSB 1011: A bill for an act relating to the provision of water service for manufactured home communities.

This bill allows manufactured home communities (mobile home parks) to choose whether water utilities directly serve individual tenants instead of landlords billing them. Landlords must notify the water utility of their intent, after which the utility must provide reasonable standards for submeters and inspect existing facilities. Under the agreement, the utility bills tenants directly based on submeter readings, while landlords cover installation costs and maintain private plumbing, and the utility maintains the main water line and master meter. The bill ensures terms and rates for tenants match those for similar residential properties.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingDirectly bills tenants for water usage via submeters, preventing landlord overcharging in mobile home parks (affordable housing), strengthening tenant financial protections.90% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 30, 2025

HF 158: A bill for an act relating to county and city regulation of rental housing.

HF 158 removes a current legal restriction that prevents Iowa counties and cities from banning landlords from refusing to rent to tenants using federal housing choice vouchers (like Section 8). The bill strikes existing code sections that prohibit local governments from adopting ordinances that would stop such discrimination. This change would allow counties and cities to create their own rules about whether landlords can refuse voucher users. The bill directly affects local governments' regulatory authority, landlords, and tenants using federal housing vouchers. It focuses on altering local housing regulation powers, not on new benefits or funding.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill removes barrier to local anti-discrimination ordinances for voucher tenants, advancing tenant protections and preventing housing discrimination.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Landlords Renters Tenant Rights

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 6, 2025

HF 266: A bill for an act relating to application fees charged by landlords to prospective tenants.

HF 266 requires landlords in Iowa to refund 50% of an application fee to prospective tenants if they are not selected to rent a unit. This directly affects renters who pay application fees and landlords who collect them. The key provision mandates that landlords must issue this partial refund within a specified timeframe after rejecting an applicant. The bill amends Iowa Code Section 562A.9 to establish this requirement, aiming to reduce financial burden on renters who don't secure housing.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingRequires landlords to refund 50% of application fees to rejected tenants, strengthening tenant financial protections in housing market.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Landlords Renters Tenant Rights

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 10, 2025

HF 275: A bill for an act modifying provisions related to the enrollment of eligible children in the statewide preschool program.

HF 275 modifies Iowa's statewide preschool program enrollment rules to prioritize homeless children. The bill requires local preschool programs (operated by school districts) to give priority on waiting lists to children meeting the federal definition of "homeless individual" under 42 U.S.C. §11302(a) and (c). This change applies to all local programs approved under Iowa Code chapter 256C, ensuring homeless children are prioritized when spaces are limited. The bill does not alter other program requirements like teacher ratios or learning standards. It directly affects preschool programs and homeless children seeking enrollment in Iowa's statewide preschool system.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationPrioritizes homeless children for preschool enrollment, expanding access to early education for vulnerable students.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingPrioritizes homeless children in preschool access, addressing homelessness as a housing issue per federal definition.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Early Childhood Teachers Homelessness

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 12, 2025

HSB 129: A bill for an act relating to the maximum amount of workforce housing tax incentives available against the individual and corporate income taxes, the franchise tax, the insurance premiums tax, and the moneys and credits tax.

This bill increases Iowa's workforce housing tax incentive program funding limits. It raises the maximum annual allocation from $35 million to $50 million, with $25 million specifically reserved for housing projects in small cities (as defined in section 15.352) registered after July 1, 2017 - up from $17.5 million. The change directly affects developers building affordable housing for low-to-moderate-income workers, particularly those in smaller communities. The policy modifies how tax credits are distributed under existing tax code provisions without altering the program's eligibility criteria.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases max annual tax incentive allocation from $35M to $50M, reserving $25M for small city housing projects, directly expanding funding for affordable housing via tax credits.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingIncreases $50M annual tax incentive funding for workforce housing, specifically reserving $25M for small cities' affordable projects targeting low-to-moderate-income workers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Tax Incentives Affordable Housing Housing Finance

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 13, 2025

HF 412: A bill for an act relating to unhoused persons participating in the state child care assistance program.

HF 412 modifies Iowa's child care assistance program to better support unhoused parents. It defines "unhoused" as lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence (including living in motels, shelters, cars, or transitional housing) and requires the Department of Health and Human Services to extend the 30-day employment-based eligibility limit for parents of children under six years old who are unhoused. The bill also exempts unhoused children from program waiting lists and mandates an expedited process for approving assistance and extensions for unhoused applicants. These changes directly affect low-income parents experiencing housing instability who are seeking work.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingAddresses homelessness by extending child care eligibility for unhoused parents and exempting unhoused children from waiting lists, directly supporting housing stability through public assistance.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExtends employment-based eligibility for unhoused parents, removing childcare access barriers and supporting workforce participation through program modifications.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Homelessness

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 13, 2025

HF 411: A bill for an act relating to state child care assistance program copayments for unhoused persons.

HF 411 exempts families determined by Iowa's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to be "unhoused" from making copayments for the state child care assistance program (CCA). The bill defines "unhoused" as lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including living in motels, shelters, cars, or temporary settings. Unhoused families are not required to pay copayments as a condition of CCA program participation, and this exemption lasts for six months after HHS determines the family is no longer unhoused. This change directly affects low-income families experiencing housing instability who rely on state child care assistance.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingExempts unhoused families from child care copayments, addressing homelessness - a key housing stability issue - by removing financial barriers to essential services.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Homelessness

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 17, 2025

HF 435: A bill for an act creating a deduction available against the individual income tax for gross rent paid by a taxpayer, and including applicability provisions.

This bill creates a new tax deduction for Iowa renters, allowing individuals to subtract gross rent paid for their primary home (including manufactured/mobile homes) from their individual income tax. It directly affects renters who use a dwelling as their main residence, covering rent for the home itself and up to one acre of land for manufactured homes. The deduction applies to rent paid at arm's length for occupancy, with "homestead" defined as a rented primary residence. The provision takes effect for tax years beginning January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides tax deduction for renters, reducing taxable income for primary residence renters - direct tax relief for middle/lower income.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingCreates tax deduction for renters, reducing tax burden on primary residence rent, increasing affordability for low-income households.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Property Taxes Renters Tenant Rights

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 20, 2025

SF 318: A bill for an act prohibiting discrimination based on an individual’s texture or style of hair.

SF 318 prohibits discrimination based on an individual’s hair texture, style, or natural/protective hairstyles (including braids, locs, twists, afros, and cornrows) in schools, workplaces, housing, and public accommodations. It amends Iowa’s civil rights laws to explicitly include hairstyle as a protected characteristic under existing race discrimination protections. The bill defines "natural or protective hairstyles" and requires school districts to remove dress code policies banning such styles. It applies statewide to all programs receiving state funding and aligns with federal protections under 42 U.S.C. §1981(c).

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProhibits school dress code bans on natural hair styles, protecting student rights and enhancing educational access in K-12 settings per bill's school district requirements.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingExplicitly prohibits housing discrimination based on hair texture/style, including housing in protected areas under civil rights law.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits workplace discrimination based on hair texture/style, protecting workers' rights under civil rights laws as explicitly stated in bill's workplace coverage.95% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 20, 2025

SSB 1047: A bill for an act relating to property law, including manufactured or mobile home retailer licenses, rent, rental agreements, notice requirements, and possession of property.

This bill (SSB 1047) updates Iowa's property law for residential and mobile home rentals. It defines "rent" to explicitly include utilities and late fees (Section 1), changes mail notice timing to be "deemed completed" 4 days after mailing (Sections 2, 5), and makes prohibited rental terms unenforceable with penalties for landlords who knowingly use them (Sections 3, 6). The bill also standardizes notice requirements for property access and legal proceedings, requiring posted notices to include dates and specifying mailing methods (Sections 4, 7, 8, 9, 10). These changes directly affect landlords and tenants in rental properties, particularly mobile home parks, by clarifying rent terms, notice procedures, and tenant protections. The bill is pending in the legislature after subcommittee approval.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill explicitly strengthens tenant protections by making prohibited rental terms unenforceable with penalties, directly addressing tenant rights in housing.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Landlords Renters Tenant Rights

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