South End Housing Development Program

Meeting the Critical Need for Affordable Housing in Council Bluffs

Council Bluffs has a significant need for both affordable and market rate housing. According to the “Comprehensive Housing Market Analysis: Omaha-Council Bluffs” completed in 2017 by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), nearly 15,000 units will be needed metro-wide in the next three years to meet the demand for the market. With only an average of 2,000 units constructed each year, the need for housing continues to be a high demand. In recent years, the average valuation of new homes constructed in Council Bluffs has been close to $276,000—well out of the range of affordable housing.

South End Housing Development Program

This program will focus on two key areas in the south end neighborhood to construct a mix of affordable and market rate housing:

  •  21st Avenue and the South Expressway: this city-owned property was originally acquired utilizing Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funding in 2011. Community Project Funding would be used to reconstruct the unimproved 21st Avenue as an access point for the property and bring in needed fill dirt to ready the site for redevelopment by the private sector. An estimated 75-100 units could be constructed on the site.
  •  South 19th Street from 25th to 26th Avenues: in partnership with NeighborWorks Home Solutions, the City would utilize Community Project Funding to extend South 19th Street from 25th Avenue to 26th Avenue to allow for a new 29-unit single family development behind Beacon Village Apartments. The proposed project would be a mix of affordable and market-rate units.

In April 2021, Community Development submitted an application for Community Project Funding from the House Appropriations Committee through Congresswoman Cindy Axne. An overview of the application was presented to City Council on April 12, 2021:


New Home Permits

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