In the summer of 2008, floods ripped through towns and cities along major Iowa rivers. Thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed. Among those structures were many historic buildings that are now in eminent danger of demolition.

Within the next few days (as of September 23, 2008), Congress is considering a supplemental appropriations bill to assist flooded communities. Please take a few minutes to write to your representatives an stress the importance of preserving and repairing historic buildings.

You can use the text below as a starting point. Form letters have less impact than personalized letters, so please add your own reasons to support this appropriation.

Visit this link to locate contact information for your representative.

Dear Representative ________,

It has come to my attention that Congress is considering a second supplemental appropriation to address flood damage in our Midwest communities. Thousands of Iowa residents lost their homes and businesses to flooding. It is my sincere hope that these communities receive adequate and timely assistance to help get their lives back in order.

I am also particularly concerned about repair and restoration of the historic structures that were damaged in the floods. Historic Tax Credits are one of the most effective ways of supporting private investment in historic rehabilitation. One of the proposals on the table includes temporarily increasing the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit in declared Federal disaster areas to 13% for qualified expenditures in qualified non-historic buildings and 26% for qualified expenditures in certified historic structures.

In addition, the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO) has requested $35 million in emergency funds from the Historic Preservation Fund to be used for the preservation, rehabilitation, stabilization, and repair of historic properties listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, and to provide planning and technical assistance.

The historic character of Iowa’s towns and older cities is a huge economic driver. Once lost, these buildings can never be recreated. In areas ravaged by flood, historic rehabilitation incentives become even more important because there will be significant pressure to demolish damaged structures - even historically significant ones. It is imperative that adequate incentives exist to preserve and restore our historic built environment.

Please support the proposed supplemental appropriation to the Historic Preservation Fund and the temporary increase of the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credits in declared Federal disaster areas.

Sincerely,
Your Name