A Neighborhood Revitalization Success

A Fairfield family recently purchased a brand-new Neighborhood Revitalization home on South 7th Street with an appraisal value of $238,000.

This project transforms more than a vacant lot.  It creates homeownership opportunity, strenghtens the neighborhood, and demonstrates how community investment can deliver exceptional housing choices for local and new residents.

This home represents more than a successful sale.  It demonstrates what happens when local businesses, employers, local bankers, &  donors work together to expand housing opportunities in Fairfield.

Constructed through the Homes for Iowa program, this new home combines high-quality materials, thoughtful design, and valuable upgrades. This home features 2×6 construction, Pella windows, energy efficient design, an enclosed crawl space for dry storage, wood floors, a two-car garage, paved driveway, and a complete appliance package.

Community Partners:

This project relied on our local partners.  Keosaqua Lumber supplied the garage “kit” package to reduce construction costs, while Oakwood Nursery provided landscaping plants and materials. Iowa State Bank provided financing and found downpayment assistance.  Thanks also go to local contractors like Live Wire, Fiedler Heating & Cooling, TC Concrete and others who got the work done on time and on budget!  Volunteers through Fairfield’s Beautification Commission donated their time and design talent to the landscaping installation to make this previously vacant corner a welcoming streetscape for the neighborhood.

Location, Location, Location!

This location offers many advantages.  Residents enjoy a quiet neighborhood just blocks from Fairfield’s main corridor, with convenient access to daycare, schools, the Jefferson County Trails, the Fairfield Recreation Center and the Fairfield Public Library.  We look forward to watching how this home will contribute to the continued investment and renewal of this established Fairfield neighborhood.

One home has found its new owners.  Another nearly identical Neighborhood Revitalization 504 S 6th Street home now awaits the next family ready to call this neighborhood home.

Over the past five years, Fairfield has seen more housing development than in the previous two decades combined. This is not just growth—it’s strategic progress toward a thriving future.

Thanks to partnerships between the City of Fairfield, Grow Fairfield Maharishi University, and Vastu Partners, we’ve transformed underutilized land into vibrant neighborhoods. From the North Campus Village and Ridge subdivisions to the bold revitalization of the Reiff Grain complex through Brownfield grant funding, we’ve made room for new homes and new residents.

The City of Fairfield has been proactive in these efforts.  In 2025, the city successfully annexed the North Campus Ridge property and is in the process of annexing the Sunrise trail Subdivision.  The city of Fairfield partnered with Grow Fairfield to purchase these 34 acres and the neighborhood infrastructure project is underway.  Grow Fairfield completed two infill homes valued at $249,000 each to help the city divest vacant lot properties in order to encourage new housing for Fairfield families. These homes are more than structures—they’re solutions to the challenge of vacant lots and aging housing stock and a direct response to the 2023 Rural Housing Action Plan.

Now, with the Sunrise Trail development underway, 31 new homes will rise with the support of a city-sponsored TIF. This land, too, will be annexed, expanding Fairfield’s footprint and future.

The impact is real:

• 42 new homes built in the last five years
• $151,200 increase in the city’s tax base from completed homes
• $111,600 projected increase from homes under construction
• $262,800 total projected tax base growth

This is what happens when a community comes together—with vision, commitment, and collaboration. Fairfield is building forward.