A new low income housing project has recently brought the City of Ames and local businesses together in an effort to give something back to the community.

City department heads and members of the Ames City Council will be working together to clean and fix up a house for the city’s Phase IV Affordable Housing Program.

The project, whose motto is “Teams Do It Better,”started when the water department purchased a home at 442 E. 6th St. The house was in need of extensive repair, and the water department turned the house over to the city to place it in the “lease to purchase” project.

The “lease to purchase” project is one of four projects that is managed by the city. This is the first year the city has worked with this type of project.

Local businesses are also getting involved by donating services and supplies. Businesses such as Gibbs Plumbing Heating and Cooling, Hinders Painting and Decorating, Target and Wal-Mart stores are involved in the community project.

“We try to do things like that, to help put back into the community,” Denny Posegate, manager of Hanson Lumber said.

In the “lease to purchase” project, the city will lease the house for 12-14 months to a family in the low to middle income bracket. The lease payments will be used toward the down payment and closing costs of purchasing the home.

Before the house can be leased it needs to be repaired. City department heads will be painting, cleaning and working in the yard with the help of area businesses.

Jason Miller, vice president of Neighbors Heating & Cooling, said the reason his business is supporting the “Teams Do Better” project is ” … to give back to the community what they’ve given back to us.”

The city department heads, city council members and the contributing businesses will meet on Wednesday, Nov. 6 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to start the reconstruction of the house.

City Manager Steve Schainker said, “City department heads have limited interaction with each other on a daily basis. These team projects help them learn to work together and build a sense of unity.”