Polk County Housing Trust Fund

We truly value Oakridge Neighborhood Services as a partner and leader in our community.

Pretty cool seeing our former Summer Youth Employment Program participant Cyntechy off doing her thing interning for the Polk County Housing Trust Fund this summer...here shooting video featuring our own Almardi Abdalla, who heads up our Family and Workforce Programs!

Housing is the solution to homelessness.

The Trust Fund is truly honored 🥰 to have been named a 2024 award recipient for the 4th annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workplace Excellence Awards, a program of the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce presented by Chase Bank.

We are honored to serve the community and proud to advance housing opportunity for everybody in Greater Des Moines! We hope you'll join us to celebrate on September 10.

2025 RECIPIENTS OF WDM CHAMBER DEI EXCELLENCE AWARDS ANNOUNCED WEST DES MOINES, IA (TUESDAY, JULY 16, 2024) – The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce (WDM Chamber) is holding its fourth annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Workplace Excellence Awards presented by Chase Bank on September 10 from 4:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Community Choice Convention Cent...

Please join us in welcoming Johnny Alcivar to our team as Director of Planning, Research and Compliance this week!

In his role, he is a resource for planning and zoning matters across our region and leads research initiatives related to affordable housing and community development. He also supports the compliance and regulatory oversight of the PCHTF’s Housing Allocation Plan funded projects and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funded projects.

Johnny comes to PCHTF from Proteus, Inc. where he was the Director of Workforce Programs. Prior to that, he worked as a planner in the public sector for the City of Des Moines and the City of Cedar Rapids. He holds a master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning (MCRP) from Iowa State University and an American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification provided by the American Planning Association. Johnny is an appointed member and current Chair of the Plan and Zoning Commission for the City of Des Moines.

July 15 storms including a confirmed tornado have resulted in (regrettably) another disaster proclamation for Polk County Iowa being issued this season by Governor Kim Reynolds. This makes state aid available.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants up to $7,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level (for a family of 4, this is annual income of $62,400 or less). Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management website https://homelandsecurity.iowa.gov/assistance. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.

As of July 1, 2024, the award amount for the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program has increased from $5,000 to $7,000. This increase is not retroactive.

The Disaster Case Advocacy Program addresses serious needs related to disaster-related hardship, injury, or adverse conditions. Disaster case advocates work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice, and referrals to obtain a service or resource. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program; it closes 180 days from the date of the governor's proclamation. For information on the Disaster Case Advocacy Program, contact your local community action agency or visit iowacommunityaction.org.

The Governor's proclamation also covers Des Moines, Dubuque, Mitchell, and Scott Counties for the severe storms on July 15.

Yesterday’s west side tornado unfortunately has prompted a third tornado related disaster proclamation in Polk County for this year. The proclamation means disaster recovery funds are available for our income-qualified neighbors; we will share details about that tomorrow.

Survey team has returned to the office and determined that an EF-1 tornado passed across Urbandale, Windsor Heights, and Des Moines last evening.

The Polk County Extreme Temperature Plan is active at this time due to the hot and muggy conditions expected to persist in our area for the next couple of days. See the post below for details.

UPDATE: The Polk County Extreme Temperature Plan will be deactivated on Tuesday, July 16.

The Polk County Extreme Temperature Plan will be activated on July 12, 2024, based on forecast temperatures from the National Weather Service.
Activation of the plan includes:
●weather amnesty at area homeless shelters,
●activation of cooling/warming centers, and
●free access to these locations on DART buses.
More detailed information and resources are available on the Polk County Emergency Management Agency’s website here:
https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/emergency-management/our-plans/extreme-temperature-and-sheltering-resources/
The end date will be determined and published when we have the date. DART will be providing free rides to the center.

Home repairs can be a major expense for low- and moderate-income homeowners. As a local housing trust fund, we are here to help!

Learn about programs that assist with needed repairs in our Owner Occupied Home Repair Resource Guide at pchtf.org/oor

Recent data continues to show that the Des Moines metro is a comparatively affordable place to buy a home relative to the rest of the country, but prices everywhere are rising, and in Des Moines, today's prices are setting records.

Working with collaborators through Capital Crossroads, we are very attentive to finding strategies our region can use to keep homeownership within reach for as many people as possible.

Des Moines reaches new record high home sales prices The median price of a metro home is up 55% since before the pandemic.

Check out this upcoming event: Poverty, By America Book
Discussion & Film Screening

August 20 • Urbandale Public Library
Hosted by UpLift- The Central Iowa Basic Income Pilot

The Urbandale Public Library is partnering with other Iowa libraries and UpLift- The Central Iowa Basic Income Pilot on a series of programs aimed at having important community conversations about poverty and its effect on Iowa. Join us Tuesday, August 20 at 6 p.m. for a discussion of "Poverty, By America" by Matthew Desmond, followed by a film screening of "Raising the Floor."
➡️Register: https://tinyurl.com/povertyia

The Trust Fund is in production today on Lighting the Way to Homeownership Opportunity, our video series in collaboration with Corinthian Baptist Church - Des Moines, IA and numerous other partners, made possible by the Homeownership Incubator Pitch Competition presented by the Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Association of REALTORS.

The purpose of the series is to help more aspiring homeowners connect to helpful local resources, especially community members historically excluded from homeownership by discriminatory practices.

Thank you to Brian Hutzell from Community State Bank for participating in today's interview. Community State bank has been one of our key partners on this series. The series is hosted by Robin Jenkins. We give a special shout-out to Cyntechy Boduo who is interning with PCHTF this summer who directed today's shoot.

We're celebrating freedom this Fourth of July! Accordingly, our office is closed and we'll be back tomorrow. Happy birthday, America!

The Trust Fund congratulates Ntontan RE and Newbury Living on your award of federal housing tax credits awarded today by the Iowa Finance Authority.

The Townhall project is a multifaceted $12.3 million development planned for the 6th Avenue Corridor in Des Moines with an anticipated completion date in late 2026. This project includes two adjacent buildings with 29 units. One building will involve the new construction of a three-story building containing affordable apartment units plus a first-floor food hall. The second building will involve the rehabilitation of the historic North Des Moines City Hall building, listed on the National Historic Register, to include additional affordable apartment units plus a first-floor coffee shop. Altogether, the project's primary objectives include the creation of much-needed affordable housing, economic empowerment through the innovative Food Hall concept, and the enhancement of community engagement in the River Bend neighborhood.

This project was the winner of the Iowa Finance Authority’s first-ever innovation competition at IFA's HousingIowa Conference in Cedar Rapids in 2023. Project innovations include sustainable design, a vibrant community space, equitable partnerships, and a resident rewards program.

Challenges with housing can happen to anybody. We've summarized the advice we give most often for common situations at pchtf.org/housinghelp

Catch up on the latest local housing and community development news with our latest newsletter!

June housing news from Greater Des Moines Community investment highlights and more Trouble viewing this e-mail? View as Webpage June, 2024   Thanks for checking out your latest summary of local housing news. It's a busy time! Don't forget: De

😍🥹 This is amazing.

The Trust Fund extends our thoughts and concern to Iowans and others affected by recent record flooding in Northwest Iowa and surrounding states, and we know many in our community are interested in how to help.

If you would like to contribute to relief efforts, the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines has informed us that disaster relief funds have been established in many impacted Iowa Counties. You may contribute to a local fund and be assured your support is reaching people in need.

https://www.desmoinesfoundation.org/about-us/news/disaster-recovery-funds-activated-across-the-region

For affordable housing providers, the Iowa Finance Authority has granted special clearance that Low Income Housing Tax Credit properties, including in Polk County, may temporarily suspend some qualification rules to rapidly house flood-displaced people. IFA has issued regulatory guidance on its compliance website under the heading “Housing for displaced individuals.”

https://www.iowafinance.com/secondary-resources-archive/?program=home-program

The Trust Fund is pleased to announce $400,000 in new Community Investment grants our board of directors approved earlier this month. Grants support local programs that advance housing stability, serving thousands of people each year.

These grants are made possible by community gifts to our Stable Steady Strong annual investment campaign. Thank you to our community of supporters for your continued engagement and belief in the value of safe, stable housing. ❤️

PCHTF grants $400,000 to 11 local programs supporting housing stability in Polk County Community Investment grants bridge the gap between affordable housing and people in our community.

Today the Trust Fund was honored to join the community in celebrating the twentieth anniversary of The Directors Council, a coalition of leaders dedicated to improving conditions for people in neighborhoods it serves.

Today the organization launched a new Future Leaders Guide to Public Service which we encourage you to check out here:https://www.tdcdsm.org/_files/ugd/158a5b_05a4633cd27c488a9867f9d1155e5482.pdf

The Directors Council is the driving force behind the One Economy report leading the way for full economic inclusion in the Black community in Polk County, and it coordinates the African American Leadership Academy. The Trust Fund is honored to support TDC as it continues its work.

Today the Trust Fund was pleased to support Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission in exhibiting at the Des Moines World Refugee Day celebration.

World Refugee Day was earlier this week, June 20. We were pleased to celebrate this weekend with community members and colleagues from Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa, Lutheran Services in Iowa, DART and many, many more.

Two important housing surveys are going on now that allow community members to share their housing experiences.

The Refugee & Immigrant Advocacy Strategic Taskforce (RIAS) is conducting a survey in English, Spanish, French, Vietnamese, Burmese, Swahili and Lao focused on housing needs among refugee and new immigrant communities. https://www.dsm.city/departments/civil_and_human_rights/refugee___immigrant_advisory_subcommittee.php

The City of Des Moines - Government, City of West Des Moines - City Manager's Office, and Polk County Iowa are also conducting a Barriers to Housing and Community Needs Survey which will provide a broader snapshot of housing conditions in Polk County and surrounding communities. https://dsm.city/barriers

Both surveys will help shine a light on housing challenges facing our community, with results to be released in the fall.

Greater Des Moines has crossed a worrying threshold for housing prices, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies' highly anticipated State of America's Housing 2024 report.

Since the pandemic, the price to income ratio in our community has shown that the median sale price of an existing single family home is now 3.3x greater than median household income. The price to income gap is the largest on record here since 1980.

Greater Des Moines has long enjoyed a good reputation for affordability for middle-income home buyers, but we need to be mindful of how things have changed. Adding housing supply is the way to moderate future price increases.

See the data: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/son-2024-price-to-income-map
Read the report: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/state-nations-housing-2024

Too often, unhoused people are subject to abuse and exploitation when what they need and want is housing and support.

We'd like to alert the community of a local scam occurring in the Des Moines metro area.

The Trust Fund wishes you and yours a Happy Juneteenth as we celebrate America's second Independence Day and recommit ourselves to achieving liberty and justice for all.

Our office is closed today, reopening Thursday, June 20.

Today, the wait list for public housing is open in Des Moines. The Des Moines Municipal Housing Authority is accepting wait list applications for all bedroom sizes until August 17 at 5:00 pm.

The Section 8 waiting list remains closed at this time.

The Des Moines Municipal Housing Authority is located at Polk County River Place, 2309 Euclid Avenue, Des Moines. For information you may also call 515-323-8950 or visit https://www.dsm.city/departments/DMMHA/index.php

Thanks to our friend Renee Hardman for being one of MANY friends and family to visit with the Trust Fund team during Iowa Juneteenth Neighbor's Day in Des Moines' Western Gateway Park.

The Polk County Housing Trust Fund is now accepting applications for our FY2025 Homelessness assistance funding round as set forth in our FY2025 Housing Allocation Plan.

✅ Funds support Centralized Intake or permanent supportive housing programs. This funding program was previously called "capacity building."
✅ Funds available in this round are $100,000
✅ The deadline to apply is July 8, 2024 at noon central time.
✅ Additional details can be found in the funding announcement below or at pchtf.org/apply.
⚠️ Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations. Individuals are not eligible to receive this funding directly. If you are an individual facing homelessness, visit pchtf.org/housinghelp.

If you'd like to receive email notifications when we open funding applications, remember to sign up at PCHTF.org/sign-up and choose Funding Notice List.

Read today's funding announcement at: https://conta.cc/4b5Jvd8

Notice of Funding Availability for Homelessness Asssistance Programs     Notice of Funding Availability June 14, 2024   Application is now open for FY2025 Homelessness Assistance Programs Including Centralized Intake or permanent s

The Trust Fund wishes a Happy Hanukkah to all who are celebrating.

We are grateful for the support of the Iowa Finance Authority and the State Housing Trust Fund, and we are proud to serve Iowa alongside our fellow local housing trust funds across the state!

The Iowa Finance Authority announces the award of a total of more than $11.2 million in grants to 26 Local Housing Trust Funds to support local housing initiatives. The grant awards are made available through the Local Housing Trust Fund program and are expected to assist 2,824 families!

Read the full press release here: https://bit.ly/3uTFCbP

Today our FY2024 Single Family Homeownership program application is open.

✅ The funding objective for this program is to assist low-moderate income residents in buying safe, well built, affordable single family housing units in Polk County. (Please note we do not provide funds to individual homeowners.)
✅ Funds available in this round: $405,000
✅ Deadline to apply: January 3 at 11:59 pm Central time
✅ Read the funding announcement here: https://conta.cc/3uMXepU

If you would like to have future funding notices emailed to you, sign up at www.pchtf.org/sign-up and be sure to select Funding Notice List.

Sign up | PCHTF