United Way Applauds Dubuque City Council for Tackling Mobile Home Park Lot Rent Issues
This week the Dubuque City Council unanimously agreed to submit a federal grant that would allow the city to enter into a land trust with three mobile home parks, including two at Table Mound and one at Terrance Heights. This process would allow the city to ensure lot rent control and safe living conditions for tenants.
Housing is a real need in our community, especially affordable housing. The most recent ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) data shows that nearly 1 in 4 homes (22%) in Dubuque County are ALICE households, or households where people are working but barely meeting a basic needs budget. Additionally, 11% of our households demonstrate income below the federal poverty guidelines. It’s difficult to thrive in a community where 1 in 3 house holds are struggling or barely getting by. United Way invests more than $185,000 locally each year to offer immediate supports to those who are struggling with housing issues. Our community members shouldn’t need to make choices between paying their lot ret or paying for necessary medication, as an example, yet housing is still the number one resource being asked about in more than 35% of calls to our 211 Information and Referral line.
We’re grateful for our partners at the City of Dubuque and the Housing Department for working with the resilient homeowners at Table Mound and Terrace Heights. We know housing is a struggle for too many in our community and coming together to be part of the solution is a great start.