Johnson County’s strategic plan sets lofty goals for increasing housing supply, affordability, and housing conditions throughout the county, with an emphasis on rural areas.
The board of supervisors will discuss a seven-page draft of the plan during a special board work session at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, in room 301 at the county Health and Human Services building.
Consulting firm BerryDunn, which has worked with the county to create the new plan, will facilitate the discussion. A vote is not expected for several weeks.
The document will be key in setting the board’s vision for the county for the coming years, giving county officials clear direction.
Strategic plan zeros in on attainable, rural housing
The supervisors plan to help stabilize manufactured home parks “to maintain an important source of housing,” increase the availability of safe and attainable housing in rural Johnson County, and collaborate with cities to expand the supply of attainable housing units.
The plan also includes recommendations to amend the county’s rental code to ensure that rentals are “uniformly safe, stable, and habitable,” and to update the county’s comprehensive plan to focus on growth areas, both of which are set to be completed before the end of 2028.
The plan sets a goal of adding, rehabilitating, or maintaining 100 attainable housing units outside the Iowa City metropolitan area by June 30, 2031.
The county has recently explored its ability to use its constitutional bond capacity for affordable housing projects and commissioned a study of rural housing needs in Johnson County. The study found that Johnson County’s rural towns will need 950 housing units over the next 10 years.
Johnson County strategic plan emphasizes access to services
Another key tenet of Johnson County’s strategic plan is ensuring access to county services, basic needs, housing, and transportation.
Namely, the plan sets a December 2026 deadline for a countywide language access plan, which would make translation services available to ensure county services are offered in languages spoken throughout the community.
The plan also identifies a need to increase access to affordable transportation, reduce food insecurity, and increase the number of community navigators.
Bolstering the county childcare workforce is another key priority by continuing to support the Child Care Wage Enhancement program, which gives childcare providers funds to increase staff wages to help expand childcare in the county.
Conservation key part of county’s strategic plan
Natural resource conservation is another key tenet of the county’s strategic plan.
The plan also includes continuing the county’s wetland restoration initiatives along the Iowa River Corridor. In 2024, the county passed a conservation bond referendum that slated millions for buying and restoring wetlands, woodlands, and native prairies throughout the county.
Liam Halawith covers Johnson County local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. Reach him by email at lhalawith@registermedia.com. Follow him on X at @liam_halawith.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: County aims to add 100 affordable housing units in rural areas by 2031
Reporting by Liam Halawith, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Liam Halawith, Iowa City Press-Citizen | USA TODAY Network
