State jump-starts $122M Joplin construction program

Gov. Jay Nixon visited Joplin on July 19 to announce the creation of Jumpstart Joplin, a $122 million initiative aiming to support the immediate construction and rehabilitation of single-family, owner-occupied homes and long-term development of single- and multifamily homes for working families in the city.

“Since the May 22 tornado, we have deployed every available agency and resource to ensure that Joplin is rebuilt and brought back to normal as quickly as possible,” Nixon said in a news release. “Ensuring that residents, and especially families, have access to adequate, affordable housing is a critical part of that recovery process.

"Our initiative addresses both the immediate and long-term housing needs of this community, and the significant investment will help the city of Joplin continue to heal and recover.”

In the short-term, roughly $22 million will be available:

• $10 million in construction financing assistance for developers, subject to approval by the Missouri Housing Development Commission;
• $7 million from the Neighborhood Preservation Program through the Missouri Department of Economic Development;
• $3.5 million in Community Development Block Grant funds;
• $1 million from the Missouri Housing Development Commission for down-payment assistance; and
• $600,000 from the Home Repair Opportunity Program.

Also, long-term permanent housing development plans include a recommendation from Nixon for the Missouri Housing Development Commission to modify its 2012 Qualified Allocation Plan to direct more than $100 million in state and federal low-income housing tax credits to the Joplin area. Nixon said the plan would create thousands of needed jobs and aid the local and state economy.[[In-content Ad]]