March 29, 2018 (Cedar Falls, Iowa) – State officials offer their congratulations today to Black Hawk County for achieving the Home Base Iowa Community designation, demonstrating the commitment to attract and employ skilled veterans to the area.
The designation was given to Black Hawk County at a morning event attended by Jason Kemp, the Home Base Iowa program manager. Local businesses, community leaders and veterans were on hand for the designation.
Home Base Iowa is a one-of-a-kind program to connect veterans and transitioning service members with almost 1,900 businesses statewide who have pledged to hire over 8,000 veterans. In addition to the 78 communities statewide, the program also has 24 college and university partners.
The program connects businesses and communities with veteran job seekers using the “Find a Veteran” feature on the Home Base Iowa website. Find a Veteran allows Home Base Iowa businesses and communities access to all active veteran job seekers who have submitted their resume through the website.
Businesses and communities are also alerted by email when a veteran resume is published with matching location and industry criteria. These features allow program partners to directly connect and market to veterans by providing businesses with a user-friendly platform to find veterans with the skills they need. Find a Veteran also helps communities market their opportunities and quality of life in order to attract veterans and their families.
Iowa offers many incentives to veterans and transitioning service members including no state taxes on military pension and veteran hiring preference, which allows veteran preferential treatment in hiring decisions for both public and private organizations. Additionally, the state of Iowa provides up to $7,500 for the down payment or closing costs of a home through the Iowa Finance Authority Military Homeownership Assistance Program. The state also provides in-state tuition rates for qualifying veterans, their spouses and their dependents.
Home Base Iowa designates qualified communities as centers of opportunity for military veterans based on four standards:
- Within a designated community, at least 10 percent of eligible, hiring businesses must become HBI businesses and pledged to hire veterans,
- Community develops its own incentive package for veterans,
- Community prominently displays HBI Community designation, and
- Community must obtain a resolution of support from the appropriate local governing body
Black Hawk County has met or exceeded these requirements. For more information on Home Base Iowa, please visit www.HomeBaseIowa.gov.