A letter of engagement with Rural Housing 360 was approved by the Panora City Council Monday.

Rural Housing 360 Community Relations Director Damon Boyd presented the letter and invoice for a $3,600 annual fee which was also approved. The company helps finance and build modular homes for prospective owners, and has worked with nearby communities like Guthrie Center. Boyd mentioned since they signed an engagement letter with Guthrie Center in January they have four housing contracts signed in the Cameron Flats development. He told the Council that the next steps of this partnership goes at the speed of the Council, and he stressed what he tells other communities, “Don’t think of this as your only option. I mean any other options you got for housing, obviously if it works for you, take it, do it. This is just one, you know this is one that we have spent a lot of time trying to perfect and we’re far from having it perfected but we’re getting closer.”

Boyd says the Rural Housing 360 team will coordinate periodic employee engagement sessions with local employers, provide a web-based platform to identify buildable lots within Panora, pursue federal and local housing programs that offer incentives to home buyers, and work with local employers to develop housing incentives, with the goal of achieving a $10,000 equity minimum for each home buyer. City Administrator Lisa Grossman says the City will finalize their commitment framework for this partnership in the next 60 days.