Affordable Housing and Racial Justice in Rural America: Organizing for Change in Small Towns – Insights from Jaime Izaguirre and the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (ICCI)

Jaime Izaguirre of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (ICCI) champions affordable housing and racial justice through a five-point plan tackling landlord responsiveness and application fees alongside supporting Biden’s PRICE Program for mobile home park investment.

Organizing Rural and Small Town America for Affordable Housing and Racial Justice

Affordable housing is a crucial issue for rural Americans. For Jaime Izaguirre, a housing organizer in Dubuque, Iowa, it is the foundation for building strong inclusive communities. As part of the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (ICCI), Izaguirre is dedicated to addressing housing challenges that significantly affect rural and small-town residents, according to the report of Barn Raising Media.

The importance of affordable housing was emphasized in a March survey by the Rural Democracy Initiative which showed that 68% of rural and small-town voters consider rising housing costs a major problem. This concern is shared across political affiliations highlighting the widespread impact of the housing crisis.

Izaguirre’s path to organizing began at Drake University where he became involved in housing and racial justice efforts. This experience led him to ICCI, where he gained the skills needed to advocate for affordable housing. In Dubuque, a city with a growing population but aging housing stock.

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(photo: Rural Democracy Initiative)

Jaime Izaguirre’s Five-Point Platform and Biden’s PRICE Program

Renters struggle to find decent places for less than $800 a month, and landlord responsiveness is often inadequate. ICCI has created a five-point platform to address these issues focusing on pest control cost responsibility, increasing the number of rental inspectors, eliminating application fees, educating tenants about their rights, and advocating for mixed-income housing developments.

Izaguirre also highlights the Biden administration’s efforts to support affordable housing, particularly through the HUD’s Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE) Program. This initiative aims to invest in mobile home parks offering direct assistance to residents and improving park infrastructure. In Dubuque, the PRICE Program could help residents of Table Mount Mobile Home Park purchase and manage their community.

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Furthermore, ICCI is active in multiple cities across Iowa working with residents in mobile home parks to advocate for better living conditions. This grassroots approach builds community power and engages various stakeholders to address housing issues.