Creston aims to be home base for veterans

Sept. 16--There is no place like home.

Creston is working toward meeting the standards to become eligible for a statewide program to help veterans find a place to work and live after their time in the service.

Gov. Terry Branstad signed the broad, bi-partisan piece of legislation on Memorial Day. The Home Base Iowa Act contains multiple provisions ranging from tax exemptions and homeownership assistance to license plates and education benefits for veterans.

In Union County, support from both community organizations and businesses is needed.

"We are trying to find ways that we can bring veterans to this area through the different jobs that are available to them," Denny Abel, quartermaster for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1797, said.

A support fund has been set up to provide financial support for Home Base Iowa in Union County. The funds will be used to help offset the cost of returning and relocated veterans.

The program calls for 10 percent of businesses in the area to sign on as a Home Based Iowa Community business.

It also asked that the community develop welcome/incentive packages to recruit veterans to the area.

"They are being thrown so much information, it may be missed while they are being discharged out," Ellen Gerharz, executive director at Creston Chamber of Commerce, said. "If they have a family member that says Iowa has this home based program, it might give them an idea to check into it."

Recruiting

A taskforce will work to reach out to veterans seeking employment and try to partner them with local businesses.

Once Creston is set up as part of Home Base Iowa, it will be eligible to pull from a state pool of veterans looking for an opportunity to live and work in the area.

A state recruiter based out of Ottumwa will help veterans find a job or an area to live that matches their experience. If Creston is a match, an information package will be sent to the veteran and employers will be contacted to set up interviews.

"If you have been in the service, you know to be there on time, you know work ethics," Abel said.

Gerharz said the program helps attract new veterans to the state, but also helps returning Iowans make an easier transition into nonmilitary lifestyle.

"We are meeting again in the first part of October," Abel said. "We will go out to these different jobs and see what they want. We want to get a list of people who are interested."

Types of assistance

The largest funding component of Home Base Iowa is the homeownership assistance program. It will provide $5,000 to eligible veterans for down payment or closing costs of a home.

Home Base Iowa makes military pensions fully exempt from state income tax and encourages Iowa's occupational licensing boards to adopt new rules to credit military training toward the licensing process.

The program also grants in-state tuition to veterans, their spouses and dependents.

"The key is getting the word out to hopefully make their transition easier," Gerharz said. "Unemployment for veterans is much higher, we just want to make them comfortable and help them readjust."

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