Gov. Kim Reynolds, Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg and Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend today (Friday) announced that Adair, Guthrie and Audubon Counties have become the 83rd, 84th and 85th Home Base Iowa Communities. They joined other state and community leaders along with local businesses and veterans to recognize their efforts to become the newest Home Base Iowa Communities.

Home Base Iowa is a one-of-a-kind program to connect veterans and transitioning service members with almost 2,000 businesses statewide who have pledged to hire over 10,000 veterans. In addition to the 85 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. The program has had over 250 veteran resumes submitted in 2018.

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 Home Base Iowa Community designation, and
• Community must obtain a resolution of support from the appropriate local governing body

All three counties have met or exceeded these requirements. For more information on Home Base Iowa, please visit www.HomeBaseIowa.gov.