STORIES

Congratulations to the Homes for Iowa Team on winning a HousingIowa Award! The Iowa Association of Councils of Government played a key role in establishing this successful program. Beyond providing affordable housing options, the program also helps prison inmates learn valuable construction skills while building the homes in a controlled environment. ECICOG has assisted with numerous Homes for Iowa projects throughout the region. For more information on Homes for Iowa, visit

Does your community or non-profit organization have a challenge or goal that requires cross-organization collaboration? Thanks to a grant from the Economic Development Administration, ECICOG has trained Strategic Doing facilitators who can help get your group started! Strategic Doing is a collaborative approach to strategy that emphasizes rapid action, flexible planning, and network-based problem solving. Unlike traditional strategic planning, which often relies on rigid, lon

ECICOG was awarded $144,000 from the U.S Department of Transportation to develop the Eastern Iowa Tri-Region Safety Action Plan for ECICOG, Region 6 Resource Partners and Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission. Work is now beginning to hire a consultant to develop the plan that will improve roadway safety for all users. Communities and projects identified in the plan will automatically qualify for Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) construction funding in future y

In July, Iowa lawmakers enacted significant updates to the state’s open meetings law through House File 706, with a strong emphasis on training and accountability. Newly elected or appointed public officials after July are now required to complete training on open meetings and open records laws, with the Iowa Public Information Board responsible for offering or approving training. Incumbent officials are exempt from the mandate but may still benefit from the training. The leg

ECICOG recently partnered with three housing trust fund agencies to secure HOME grants, assisting up to 15 first-time homebuyers in our region. All three grants were awarded funds by the Iowa Finance Authority in August. Housing Fund for Linn County, East Central Iowa Housing Trust Fund, and Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County each received awards of $206,250 to assist up to five income-eligible homebuyers with down payment assistance and minor repairs over the next two year

Since launching in 2016, ECICOG has provided over $238,000 in microloans to local businesses to help with growth and expansion. The micro...

The 380Express bus service between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City has seen record ridership recently, and with major road construction in the...

The State of Iowa's IT procurement group is working to understand how local governments and political subdivisions can possibly save time...

ECICOG is coordinating the development of a regional resilience plan, and we are seeking input on strategies to build a pathway to a...

ECICOG is offering a second Strategic Doing Training opportunity September 9-10 at the Kirkwood Continuing Education Training Center....

If you have been driving around Linn County lately, you may have noticed a series of new signs that have popped up identifying the Indian...

Did you know that ECICOG has completed sidewalk condition assessments for rural communities in our six-county region? ECICOG...

Is your community looking for grant funds to complete drinking water, wastewater, stormwater management, or water quality improvement...

Recognizing that local government leaders are juggling a lot of priorities, ECICOG will be hosting an ongoing series of micro-learning...

Congratulations to the City of Anamosa, which was recently awarded a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Downtown Revitalization...

Join the Iowa Association of Councils of Governments (ICOG) for an engaging and informative virtual Lunch and Learn to discover the...

ECICOG Housing Director Tracey Achenbach was honored with the 2025 Prometheus Award from the Iowa Association of Council of Governments...

Housing Director Tracey Achenbach will retire from ECICOG on June 6th. Help us celebrate her outstanding career at a retirement open...

ECICOG will be hosting its annual Local Government Recharge Day on Thursday, May 8 from 9am - 3:30pm at Fireside Winery in Marengo....

ECICOG’s work has resumed a more normal cadence after the Trump administration issued an Executive Order in late January that temporarily...

The City of Wellman was recently awarded a $500,000 grant to replace water mains and install fire hydrants and water meters. Wellman is...