In our 2026 fiscal year, the Polk County Housing Trust Fund will begin using Neighborly as our platform for program applications as well as managing fund draws and other processes. The process for applying for our programs will feel similar to our past Formstack applications, but with many new features we are excited to offer to you:
You will be able to log in to manage your applications and funding from PCHTF, so if you manage multiple applications in different programs, you can access all your information in one place.
It will be easier to save your work on an application and have other members of your team contribute to an application.
All the documents and details from the life-cycle of your funding (application, contract, loan agreement, compliance, etc.) will all be available in one location.
The transition to Neighborly will continue throughout the coming year, and we are excited to work with applicants and funded partners to make adjustments and provide the most efficient experience possible.
Funding announcements are occurring or expected soon for several new affordable multifamily projects planned for Des Moines.
At its March Board meeting, the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) approved awards of $1,000,000 in low income housing tax credits (annually for 10 years) as well as a $500,000 HOME program Award for Goldfinch Lofts In Des Moines.
Goldfinch Lofts, which is being developed by Cutler Development LLC and Arch Icon Development Corp., won the state’s second-annual Housing Innovation Pitch Competition at the HousingIowa Conference in 2025, giving the project a priority lane to receive this housing tax credit award.
Goldfinch Lofts is planned for 3404 Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines (across from Price Chopper). The property is planned to be Iowa’s first Low Income Housing Tax Credit project to use mass timber construction, a method the developers have used previously including on Star Lofts a few blocks to the east. The property will feature 28 income-restricted apartments.
Anticipating IFA’s award of credits, the Polk County Housing Trust Fund’s board in February awarded $459,000 in new rental development funds to support Goldfinch Lofts.
IFA is expected to announce the remaining Housing Tax Credit awards in this year’s 9% credit round in early May. PCHTF’s board also approved $250,000 awards for two projects with applications pending in this round, provided they are successful in receiving credits. Those projects include Newbury Commons and Foundry Lofts, both planned for the Market District (along Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway just east of the Des Moines River) in Des Moines.
Both of those projects could be the beneficiary of the Thriving Communities designation awarded to Des Moines in 2024 to encourage multifamily affordable development in communities that demonstrate development readiness.
The Polk County Housing Trust Fund (PCHTF) has announced that our board of directors this month has approved $400,000 in grant awards to 11 programs at local non-profit organizations through the organization’s Community Investment grantmaking program. These grants bridge the gap between affordable housing and people in our community through programs that support the stability of families, a steady workforce, and strong and economically vital neighborhoods and communities.
"This ongoing funding initiative is critical so people and families in Greater Des Moines have the support they need to find and keep stable housing. We thank the many participating community members for their investments, which in turn allow us to thoughtfully invest in much-needed programs that help thousands of people every year,” said Julian Neely, PCHTF’s director of advancement and community investment.
The Community Investment funds PCHTF allocates are unique because they come from local businesses, organizations, and individuals through the PCHTF’s Stable Steady Strong fundraising campaign. This supplements PCHTF’s operational funding and “bricks-and-mortar” development programs to create housing, which are funded by Polk County and the State Housing Trust Fund administered by the Iowa Finance Authority.
Thanks to the operating support PCHTF receives from Polk County, PCHTF grants 100% of funds raised through Stable Steady Strong out to local nonprofit partners providing programs and services that meet critical needs in the community. Programs receiving Community Investment grants support one or more of the following priorities: homeownership counseling and education, housing-focused case management, resident services, permanent supportive housing, and affordable housing programs.
To learn more about Stable Steady Strong and the investments it supports in our community — or to make a contribution in support of this program, visit our website https://www.pchtf.org/stablesteadystrong/ .
Organization - Program name | Grant awarded |
|---|---|
Anawim Housing – Supporting Tenants and Housing Retention Program | $85,000 |
CommonBond Communities - Des Moines Program | $20,000 |
Families Forward - The Home Connection | $25,000 |
HOME, Inc. - Housing Counseling Program | $20,000 |
Iowa Homeless Youth Centers - Homeless and At-Risk Youth Project | $70,000 |
Iowa Legal Aid - Polk County Housing Stability | $30,000 |
Oakridge Neighborhood - Family and Workforce Services | $65,000 |
Primary Health Care - Client Assistance Program | $25,000 |
Primary Health Care - Landlord Mitigation | $20,000 |
The Beacon - The Graduate Support Program | $20,000 |
YMCA Supportive Housing - Graduate Program | $20,000 |