DAVENPORT, Iowa — The City of Davenport is using $2.1 million to revive vacant and abandoned homes with the "Extreme DREAM" program.
"The goal is to have them rehabbed and return to single-family homes, with owner-occupied folks living in them," 3rd Ward Alderwoman Marion McGinnis said.
The program was approved by the city council on March 22 and is focused on Warren, Gaines and Scott Street — specifically between Locust and 5th Street.
"The goal is to address this in a very visible corridor of the city," McGinnis said. "Gaines is a busy street, and it has a lot of assets around it."
Qualifying applicants could get up to $100,000 for the purchase price of the property and rehabilitation cost.
"They could be redeveloped by a developer or someone who does that, but it has to end up being sold to someone who will be in it — and it will have to be a single-family home for at least five years," McGinnis added.
Applicants will have to supply the following information:
- Letter of intent to purchase or property deed
- Proof of available funds or ability to finance
- Overall design, scope, bids and timeframe
- Demonstrated ability to complete a project of this scale
McGinnis explained that the goal is to avoid needing to demolish such buildings.
"When you take a house down, nothing ever goes back in its place, and so what you have is a neighborhood that's less and less populated, lots of empty lots, many of them stay weedy and the city has to come and cut them," she said.
The $2.1 million funding comes from the city's sale of "The Heritage" building in 2021, an apartment for low-income senior living.
News 8 spoke with someone living in the area, who asked to not be identified.
She spoke about how a 'crisis' brought her and her children to the community.
"I was supposed to be here for 30 days," she said. "I ended up getting a job and finding a place, and I've been here ever since."
The neighbor said she's proud of the community and believes in the city's goals.
"I really think [the city] will keep their word and do what they said they were gonna do, to fix the places up," she said. "Just have a decent place to live, a decent place to be, a decent place to raise your children."
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