Rejuvenate Housing, a Davenport nonprofit focused on neighborhood revitalization, has named Scott Dahlke of Muscatine its new executive director.
Dahlke began work June 1 and will lead a 10-member volunteer board of directors in identifying, purchasing and renovating houses in central Davenport in order to upgrade housing stock and provide homeownership opportunities for area families, according to a Monday news release.
Dahlke most recently served as executive director of the Muscatine Center for Social Action where he managed multiple projects, including development of housing, outreach programs and community events. Rejuvenate Housing president Gwen Tombergs described Dahlke’s background and achievements as a perfect fit as Rejuvenate enters its third year of operation.
“Scott comes to Davenport fully equipped to help Rejuvenate Housing take on additional renovation projects just as the city of Davenport is rolling out its new Extreme DREAM program to attack neighborhood blight in the central city, a program we intend to utilize,” Tombergs said in Monday’s release. “His track record of working with local, state and federal officials to secure public and private financing will be a great boost to our efforts and enable us to tackle multiple housing rehabs at once this year and next.”
Tombergs noted that Rejuvenate Housing has completed renovation and sale of two houses since it began operations in 2021 and is concentrating its work in an area bounded by Warren, Harrison, Ninth and Locust streets.
Dahlke says he’s excited about the opportunities in Davenport and is impressed with the coordination among housing groups working to improve options for renters and homeowners in the area.
“I look forward to being an active member of the Quad Cities Housing Cluster and helping Rejuvenate Housing take a lead role in restoring older houses south of Locust. From what I’ve seen, there are some terrific neighborhoods in this part of the city and I’m anxious to work with the board and others to make central Davenport a more attractive and inviting location to own a home and raise a family,” Dahlke said.
Rejuvenate Housing is a local nonprofit formed in 2020 by the late businessman and philanthropist, Don Decker. Just as Rejuvenate Davenport was formed by Decker and others in the 1980s and ‘90s to tackle renovation of downtown commercial properties, Rejuvenate Housing was formed as an off-shoot to address blight in residential neighborhoods.
