Missouri River Historical Development, Inc. (MRHD) announced today that the City of Sioux City Neighborhood Services Division has been awarded $1 million through MRHD’s 2026 Economic Development Match Grant Program to support the development of Star Apartments, a permanent supportive housing project that will create 24 housing units for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
The award was announced during a public ceremony held at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Sioux City at 11 a.m.
The $6.56 million Star Apartments project will rehabilitate the former Jewish Community Center at 525 14th Street in Sioux City into 24 one- and two-bedroom permanent supportive housing units. In addition to stable housing, residents will have access to onsite case management and supportive services intended to help individuals experiencing chronic homelessness and other significant barriers achieve long-term housing stability.
The project addresses a significant need for permanent supportive housing in the community. In 2025, Sioux City’s Coordinated Entry system recorded 1,054 individuals across 755 households seeking housing assistance, including 246 individuals identified as chronically homeless and 655 individuals who reported having a disability. Despite this demand, only 70 referrals to housing programs were available during the year.
By creating 24 additional permanent supportive housing units, Star Apartments will expand the community’s capacity to serve individuals who have experienced repeated or long-term homelessness. The project is also expected to reduce pressure on emergency shelters, hospitals, law enforcement and other community resources while transforming a long-vacant building into a productive community asset.
“Star Apartments is exactly the type of collaborative, high-impact project the Economic Development Match Grant was created to support,” said Dave Bernstein, MRHD Board President. “This investment addresses an important community need while giving new purpose to an existing property and leveraging millions of dollars in additional investment. MRHD is proud to partner with the City of Sioux City on a project that has the potential to make a lasting difference in the lives of Woodbury County residents.”
The City of Sioux City currently owns the property and has already invested resources into securing the building, installing lighting and completing conceptual design work. The City is pursuing additional state and federal funding sources to complete the project. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2027, with completion expected in 2028.
The MRHD Economic Development Match Grant is a competitive grant opportunity that provides awards ranging from $250,000 up to $1 million. The program is designed to support economic development projects within Woodbury County that require higher levels of funding and collaboration. Grants must be matched dollar-for-dollar with cash or eligible in-kind contributions, and projects must be completed within four years. Educational entities, local governments and tax-exempt organizations whose principal place of business and projects are in Woodbury County, Iowa, are eligible to apply.
Projects must align with at least one of MRHD’s four economic development focus areas:
• Creation and retention of jobs;
• Development of a critical job force;
• Implementation of a new project or service having a substantial impact on the community; or
• Support for improved quality of life and community development projects.
Since the Economic Development Match Grant Program was established, MRHD has invested millions of dollars in major projects throughout Woodbury County, helping leverage additional public and private investment for initiatives ranging from year-round event and recreation facilities and rural medical and childcare facilities to substance abuse and mental health programming, youth sports facilities, and major public projects such as Sioux City’s riverfront redevelopment.
MRHD is the nonprofit organization that holds the license for gaming in Woodbury County. Its funding is generated through an agreement between MRHD and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Sioux City, which allows Hard Rock to operate a gaming facility in Woodbury County using MRHD’s gaming license.
With the 2026 award, MRHD’s Economic Development Match Grant Program has now awarded nearly $8 million to economic development projects that foster collaboration, attract matching investment and drive meaningful development in Woodbury County.
MRHD has invested more than $60 million in the Siouxland community since the inception of its grant programs in 1994.
For more information about MRHD or the Economic Development Match Grant Program, contact MRHD Executive Director, David Gleiser at 712-899-6631.
