A $200,000 grant from the DRA Board in Dubuque, Iowa, is being used to provide housing in the region.
It was announced Tuesday that the DRA’s Mission Grant to the Dubuque/Jackson County Habit for Humanity was approved for purchasing land as part of the nonprofit organization’s Pleasant Pocket Neighborhood Project. Located in Dubuque’s Wood Street neighborhood.
DRA is the non-profit organization that owns and operates Q Casino and is the co-licensee for Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque.
“The generous donation DRA supports our efforts to bring affordable housing to the community,” said Habitat for Humanity Dubuque and Jackson Counties Interim Executive Director Rachel Daack in a statement. “There is a great need for this type of housing locally, so DRA’s help in making this happen is timely.”
DRA’s board voted in September 2022 to approve the grant. The sale of land to Habitat for Humanity was recently finalized.
The approximately three acres purchased will eventually be the site of 14 small to moderately sized, single-family homes for low- to moderate-income families. The two-, three- and four-bedroom floorplans are designed to control long-term housing costs and offer ownership opportunities for families.
“Given our community’s need for more affordable housing, we are pleased to be able to help support Habitat for Humanity’s ongoing efforts,” said DRA and Q Casino President and CEO Alex Dixon. “DRA has a long history of partnering with organizations who want to be a positive catalyst for improvement and change in the community and we are proud of our continued philanthropy and firmly committed to being at the forefront of supporting efforts that not only have a positive impact on growth and change in Dubuque, but also the tri-state area. Given this, providing funding that helped secure land for the future development of affordable housing fits well with our own mission and goals when it comes to giving back.”
