Updated: Oct 31, 2022
This is a tough economy for housing progress, but Greater Des Moines has the skills and capability to respond.
It’s going to take continued innovation and investment - and your support - to make things happen.
The challenges facing housing production today can be absolutely daunting.
Prices have spiked and supply chain and workforce issues continue to roil the industry, leaving housing finance agencies tasked with supporting affordable housing development to scramble to keep projects moving.
While a majority of Iowans support housing our neighbors need, just a few skeptical neighbors can derail projects.
But providers are innovating to overcome these challenges, with inspirational results. The Polk County Housing Trust Fund provides advocacy and funding to to keep projects on track.
Developers Michael Kiernan and Jack Hatch recently opened Sixth Avenue Flats which offers badly needed workforce housing and unique programs to serve youth experiencing homelessness.
The Trust Fund was able to allocate funds to this project that filled the gap between the project's main source of funding (federal housing tax credits administered by the Iowa Finance Authority) and the cost of construction. The role of "filling the gap" is one we are often called upon to play.
YSS/Iowa Homeless Youth Centers will provide supportive services to youth in the program, who will also benefit from educational opportunities at DMACC’s Urban Campus, across the street.
Speaking to PCHTF for our video tour of the property, DMACC president Rob Denson called the partnership behind the project “the who’s who of helping people.” He is right, and looking inside the property is a reminder that at the end of the day housing is about helping improve the lives of real people in the community.
Check out the video tour below, and sign up if you'd like to stay involved in this work. Your voice in your community to call for continued housing progress can make a huge difference.
Updated: Oct 31, 2022
We can improve housing opportunities in your neighborhood, and you might not ever even know it.
Des Moines recently legalized the Accessory Dwelling Unit in far more places, and our colleagues at HOME, Inc. are about to put their first one on the market. ADUs are just a small home that shares a lot with a larger single family home.
HOME Inc’s ADU in Oak Park is nearing completion and brings many advantages:
ADUs allow new housing in existing neighborhoods you may not even notice.
They take advantage of existing community infrastructure.
They can be an affordable option, because the land they sit on is already paid for.
Des Moines recently dramatically expanded the portion of the city where ADUs can be built. That’s a good example of how changes to zoning law are essential to housing progress in our communities.
Unfortunately, zoning regulations often block housing solutions that would benefit communities by banning certain types of housing or driving up costs. Some communities recognize this and are taking action to change their practices.
Look back: At our housing symposium in April, Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity leader Lance Henning told the audience that for every $1000 increase in the price of home, hundreds of local families lose the opportunity to buy.
Ideas like accessory dwelling units, missing middle housing, and more are a way to push back against that worrisome trend.
We’re closely watching the construction of HOME Inc’s ADU and look forward to sharing a tour when it’s completed. For now check out our latest video tour below and sign up to see the next update.
Updated: Oct 31, 2022
People of color frequently experience worse housing outcomes in Greater Des Moines than the community as a whole.
But new partnerships are coming together to narrow the gap in areas where it persists, like homeownership.
Like so many communities, Greater Des Moines has work to do to overcome historic housing discrimination like we chronicled in our Redlining in Des Moines online experience.
The consequences persist: Iowa’s rates of Black and Latinx homeownership rates are lower than the national average, according to a report the Iowa Association of Realtors commissioned.
18.6 points lower for Black Iowans versus nationally
9.6 points lower for Latinx Iowans versus nationally
A group of financial institutions, real estate professionals, community organizations and others have gathered to work on this challenge. The effort is convened as part of the One Economy project.
One promising local program to boost Black homeownership in response to that work is Journey to Homeownership by our colleagues at Neighborhood Finance Corporation.
Other organizations and financial institutions are also stepping up to improve their efforts. Nationally, an effort called 3 by 30 is working to create 3 million new Black homeowners by 2030.
On the local scene, another compelling effort is the Iowa Latinx Project which last year released the report Nuestro Iowa (Our Iowa) detailing "statistics and stories from the Central Iowa Latino community" including on housing.
What do all of these efforts have in common?
First, they rely on cross-sector partnerships - with stakeholders from the community and government joining business leaders in the housing, real estate, and lending sectors (and beyond).
And second, they focus on digging deep to create systems to support equitable prosperity.
The Polk County Housing Trust Fund is committed to supporting, learning, and growing within these efforts to enhance housing opportunities for for everyone in Greater Des Moines. Sign up to stay informed about our work.
One more thing: The image for this post on social media shows data from the National Equity Atlas, which is useful source of information on racial and economic equity.