Nominations for USDA Rural Development’s 2016 Site Manager of the Year program will be accepted through April 15th. This recognition program honors outstanding efforts of apartment managers and maintenance staff serving rural Iowans in one of the more than 430 apartment complexes currently financed through USDA. These complexes provide rural Iowans with access to 8,796 apartment units.
Awards will be presented in the following categories:
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Site Manager of the Year – Elderly Housing
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Site Manager of the Year – Family Housing
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Site Manager of the Year – Farm Labor Housing
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Maintenance Person
Selection criteria will include such things as:
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Level of tenant satisfaction with the manager
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Properties with good curb appeal on a continuous basis
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Compliance with USDA Rural Development regulations
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Manager or maintenance person consistently doing more than what is expected
The site managers and maintenance person recognized in Iowa will also be entered into the national site manager of the year competition. A national winner will be chosen in each of the categories and awards presented June 12th – 14th during the Council for Affordable and Rural Housing’s Annual Meeting and Legislative Conference in Arlington, Virginia.
Tenants, owners, management companies, or agency employees may make nominations. Nomination package are available on the "Forms and Resources" tab at www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/multi-family-housing-direct-loans/ia, local USDA Rural Development offices or email mary.juergens@ia.usda.gov.
“Site managers and maintenance staff work hard every day to ensure thousands of Iowans have access to safe and affordable apartment housing opportunities in our rural Iowa communities,” said Mary Beth Juergens, USDA Rural Development Housing Program Director in Iowa. “They make sure the day-to-day operations go smoothly, and often invest a great deal of their own free time providing tenants with a safe and cohesive community. We are proud to recognize their outstanding work through this program.”
Nominations should be as complete as possible. Letters from tenants, members of the community, housing groups, and others are encouraged. Include any local media coverage which has occurred and pictures of the property that depict its curb appeal. Pictures of tenant activities and events are also beneficial.
Nomination packages are due no later than April 15th to the local USDA Rural Development office serving the apartment complex.
USDA Rural Development’s funding continues to have a dramatic impact on rural communities across Iowa. Since 2009, USDA Rural Development has invested $4 billion on essential public facilities, small and emerging businesses, water and sewer systems, and housing opportunities for Iowa families.
USDA Rural Development can help rural communities and regions grow and prosper by offering a variety of financial and technical assistance programs that encourage the development of strong community and economic development strategies.
This past year USDA Rural Development’s investment in Iowa helped create or retain more than 1,000 jobs, aided 2,400 families in buying their own homes and assisted more than 60 communities as they made improvements to their facilities, services and infrastructure.
Contact USDA Rural Development
For more information about finance programs available through USDA Rural Development, please call (515) 284-4663 or visit the agency’s web site at www.rd.usda.gov/ia.
USDA Rural Development has 11 offices across the state to serve the 1.7 million Iowans living in rural communities and areas. Office locations include a State Office in Des Moines, along with Area Offices in Albia, Atlantic, Humboldt, Indianola, Iowa Falls, Le Mars, Mount Pleasant, Storm Lake, Tipton and Waverly.
President Obama’s plan for rural America has produced historic investment in rural communities. Under the President’s leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have strengthened America’s small towns and cities and helped improve the nation’s economy.