The Community Development segment of this office includes the City of Oskaloosa Housing Trust Fund, Historic Preservation (including the Main Street/RACI Revolving Loan Fund), and Oskaloosa Trees Forever.

The national award winning Oskaloosa Housing Trust Fund (OHTF) was established by the City Council in November of 2000. The OHTF administers several different programs to address the various housing issues within the City of Oskaloosa. Programs of the OHTF include: Programs to assist with down payment and closing costs for home purchases; rehabilitation of owner-occupied, as well as rental housing; demolition of dilapidated housing structures; construction of speculative affordable housing; training of high school students in the construction trades; and a recognition program for people that make significant improvements to their homes.

Another activity the department is involved in, is serving as the staff liaison to the Oskaloosa Historic Preservation Commission (OHPC). The OHPC has worked over the years to identify historic properties and toward getting them listed on the National Register. The commission also works on several types of education efforts to let people know the importance of historic properties and the proper way of caring for these community treasures. The committee works with the Main Street Design Committee to provide joint review of applications for Main Street’s façade improvement grant program and the City’s RACI/Main Street Revolving Loan Fund. Both programs are intended to assist downtown property owners with historically sympathetic improvements to their buildings. Recently, the OHPC has been working with Main Street Oskaloosa on promoting the adoption of ordinances that would allow the commission the ability to enforce design review prior to improvements to properties within the downtown area.

The 18 member Oskaloosa Trees Forever committee was organized in 1992. This volunteer organization is a subcommittee of the city. Over the years the committee has participated in the planting of about 2,000 landscape trees and approximately 1,700 seedlings. Although the committee’s primary focus has been to plant trees, the focus is more of a broad based community urban forestry program. The committee has been involved in several educational efforts within the community, recommended changes to the city’s tree ordinance, and completed inventories of the community’s trees. Trees Forever is funded through private donations, as well as grants from various funding sources.