Currently in her sixth year as a Story County supervisor, Latifah Faisal initially decided to run after being encouraged by a former colleague.
“Sometimes people see something in you that you don’t necessarily see in yourself,” Faisal said. She saw the position as “an opportunity to serve Story County in an even bigger way than I was currently.”
Faisal, who previously worked for the Story County Attorney’s Office in Victim and Witness Services and Program Development, said that a reluctance to get involved in campaigning stands in the way of many people choosing to serve the county as she has.
“But it’s not as scary as you might think,” Faisal said of her own experiences on the campaign trail. “If you believe in what you’re trying to accomplish, it’s easy to talk to people. You just have to remember to be yourself.”
As far as Faisal’s own accomplishments are concerned, she cites helping the county expand affordable housing by building homes in Nevada and McCallsburg and using Tax Increment Financing (TIFF) funds to help homeowners afford costly repairs. In particular, Faisal noted the area’s four mobile home parks.
“A lot of them could use some love,” Faisal said of these residences. “And we know they’re some of the most affordable options for those with the fewest resources.”
County supervisors also used American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support housing, child care, food pantries, transitional living programs, emergency housing for domestic abuse victims and training programs that allowed residents to take courses through Des Moines Area Community College.
If re-elected, Faisal hopes to:
- Further expand housing options
- Work with substance abuse treatment providers
- Increase access to child care
- Conduct a “comprehensive review” of the county’s land use policies to make sure they remain current and responsive to residents’ needs.
“Certain laws may have been made for a reason at one time, but do they still make sense?” Faisal asked. “We want to make sure that, if somebody wants to do something a little bit different, there are ways to get that done.”
Faisal also raised the issue of data centers, stressing the importance of helping the county come up with policies “based on facts, not fears.”
“People sometimes react at the extremes,” Faisal said. “But who am I to say those fears are unfounded until I’ve done the research?”
Faisal cited a number of concerns that need to be addressed, including placing limits on sound and vibration, governing water and energy use, and making sure waste is handled properly.
“We don’t want to shut the door on everything,” Faisal said, “but we want to make sure these companies are doing their due diligence and taking their responsibilities to their communities seriously.”
Communication is key to solving many of the county’s challenges, Faisal said.
“It’s super complicated, but keeping communication open is important,” she said. “We need to build relationships so that everybody can see that we have the greater good in mind.”
The post Supervisor Faisal seeks to continue expanding housing options appeared first on Iowa Media Wire.