2024 REALTORS® Relief Grants

Iowa REALTORS® Distribute $609,000 in Housing Relief to Iowans

Iowa REALTORS® distributed more than $609,000 in housing relief grants to 547 households across the state following devastating spring and summer storms this year. 

With more than 8,000 REALTOR® members across the state, Iowa REALTORS® is dedicated to ensuring Iowans impacted by natural disasters are afforded the resources to rebuild their homes and sense of community through relief grants. 

“The sense of home for thousands of Iowans was diminished this spring and summer as a result of destructive severe weather events,” Gavin Blair, Iowa REALTORS® CEO, said. “As Iowans, we know that helping one another is the first line of action. Iowa REALTORS® stand behind our communities and are proud to provide needed support to those who faced the unimaginable.”

Through three separate grant relief campaigns, Iowa REALTORS® distributed $609,373 in funding to 547 Iowans. The funding was available to individuals impacted by storms in April, May and June to assist with mortgage and rental payments or hotel reimbursements. 

Recipients received funding through a simple application process, sharing the stories and photos of the devastation they encountered following these deadly storms. 

Jennifer and her family experienced the total loss of their home following tornadoes in the Minden area in May. 

"The shock of this traumatic event still haunts us," Jennifer said. "Not only did we deal with wind damage, but the rains that followed for the following days made it extremely difficult to salvage anything that remained." 

When flood waters filled the basement and five feet of the first floor of their home in Rock Valley, Stacia and her family lost all of the contents on the two floors. Because of the nature of the disaster - flooding - Stacia's insurance claim was denied. The ability to obtain relief from Iowa REALTORS® will help her family as they begin to pick up the pieces. 

In order to provide needed assistance following three major storm events and their subsequent flooding, Iowa REALTORS® received generous grant funding from the National Association of REALTORS’® REALTORS® Relief Foundation. 

 

Grant Details

The Iowa Association of REALTORS® understands the vast devastation that occurred across the state of Iowa and the need for financial and outside support to rebuild these communities. IAR partnered with the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) REALTORS® Relief Foundation to provide storm relief for the areas of Iowa impacted by the severe weather events.

The REALTORS® Relief Foundation awarded IAR three grants totaling $900,000. These funds aimed to help individuals who have been impacted by the severe storms with housing costs due to displacement up to $2,500 per household. 

All grants were contingent upon the availability of funds. As a result, aid was provided on a first-come, first-serve basis and until deadlines set by the REALTORS® Relief Foundation. 

All 2024 grants have been completed at this time. 

REALTORS® Relief Foundation

Provides housing-related assistance to disaster impacted communities through the generosity of REALTORS®, state, and local associations and industry partners.

In 2001, NAR Executive Leadership team formed RRF due to the necessity of providing urgent housing-related assistance for those struggling with the aftermath of 9/11. $36 million in aid has helped 19,000 families. RRF is supported generously by the Realtor® community.

Questions? 

Contact us atrelief@iowarealtors.com or call (800) 532-1515

Iowa REALTORS® RRF Contributors 

$500+

Gavin Blair Ken Clark Jennifer Jansen Jo Jenkins Sean McIntyre Cynthia Miller

$250 to $499

Travis Bushaw  Jennifer Clark  John Dunn  Lance Hanson  Shaner Magalhães Les Sulgrove  Kristi Tibben Linda Westergaard

$100 to $249

Kim Bakey Lana Baldus  Holly Brink   Jill Budden   Jena Burt  Krista Clark Christy Conrad   Jesse Grade Becky Halsch  Erika Hansen Regen Johnson  Dave Maubach Jamie McManis  Erik Melloy   Byron  Menke Messe Meyer  Jill Monnahan  Mersiha Mustedanagic  Thomas Payne Cindy Pelz Cherokee Render  Kiki Scarberry  Marion Sharp  Jen Stanbrough Scott Wendl

$20 to $99

Holly Adams  Beth Alonso  Susan Banks   Barb Barr   Courtney Blair  Jamie Blake   Sandi Lyn Burnett  Katie Chalupa  Brenda Conyn Jan Crosby   Renae Forsyth-Christy  Mike Franey  Tammi Goede Jeff Hefel   Andrea Hicks Jake Jenkins Brooke Kauffman  Amanda Lippon  Shelly Lohman  Anthony Lyne Mindy Martin Sarah Miller  Craig A Newcomb Paul Park  Kevin Platz   Kristin Polley   Nick Polum  Elizabeth Powers  Catherine Pugh  Susan Rekward   Tyler Riddle Ann Roushar   Ben Russell  Jerad Ruth Kimberly Schillig  Kim Schneider   Jacey Slaton Beth Skluzacek Sharon Smith Lynette Sorensen Laura Soride   Tom Stender-Custer  Niccolette Sterlman Diana Symonds Misty Szczech Brandie Thein Rachel Thomas  Rachel Tiskevics   Leanna Trees  Samantha Vance Lesley Vancura  Mark Voss Jennifer Weigel Jon Yocum