Polk County Housing Trust Fund
Issue: March, 2015
 
Affordable Housing, By the Numbers:
Our new Report to the Community is now available! 
By now, you all know that the Polk County Housing Trust Fund is solely focused on providing affordable housing for the residents of Greater Des Moines. It's in our name. It's what we've done for 20 years. But housing isn't only about having a place to rest your head at night. Housing is an essential piece of our region's economy, and a necessity for good health and quality education. With this in mind, PCHTF decided to reimagine our annual report to reflect the great impact of housing on our community.

We're proud to present "By the Numbers," our 2015 Report to the Community. Inside, you'll find not only facts and statistics about housing, but observations from local leaders from the health, education, and economic development fields who recognize the importance of housing on their work. We hope that "By the Numbers" will help everyone in our community understand the vital importance of safe, stable, and affordable housing to our region's high quality of life.

Read "By the Numbers" on our website by clicking here.
Affordable Housing Week: April 13-18
Save the Date for Affordable Housing Week 2015!
Check out our new events as well as old favorites
Polk County Housing Trust Fund is proud to announce its lineup of events for Affordable Housing Week 2015! We just couldn't wait until next month to share, but look out for the April eNewsletter for the full details. Save the date for our upcoming events to learn more about affordable housing in Greater Des Moines!

We're particularly proud to announce our first Housing Symposium, to be held the morning of April 16. Two national speakers will come to Des Moines to share the latest information on how housing impacts our community's health,
 education, and economic development.

Michelle Winters (left), Senior Visiting Fellow for the Urban LandInstitute's Terwilliger Center for Housing will kick things off from the real estatedevelopment perspective. She will be followed by Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba (right)Research and Policy Director for Children's HealthWatch, who will present about her research connecting housing and health. Finally, a panel of local experts will share how housing impacts their work. Best of all: it's free

Of course, we'll also offer your favorite events from years past. On April 14, we'll convene the property management community to talk about affordable housing programs. On April 17, we're partnering with the Greater Des Moines Partnership to offer our tenth community bus tour. On April 18, ASK Studio and PCHTF will present the third year of the Can I Be Your Neighbor Design Challenge competition, offering scholarships to high school students for their design work.

You can find all of this information and more on our calendar. Check that page for updates as they are announced, or you can stay up to date with us on Facebook and Twitter. We hope you'll join us for another year of Affordable Housing Week!
More Affordable Housing News
Housing Tomorrow Hits the Airwaves
Listen in for a series on housing in our community
The Polk County Housing Trust Fund will host broadcast radio discussions as part of its Housing Tomorrow public participation process. Three half-hour segments will cover aspects of the Des Moines community impacted by housing, specifically transportation, childhood education, and neighborhood development. Tune in for the conversation on KJMC 89.3 FM the first three Wednesdays of March from 6 to 6:30 PM and learn how housing matters from the perspectives of three community leaders: Gunnar Olson of the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Teree Caldwell-Johnson of the Des Moines School Board, and Emily Boyd of Viva East Bank! and Community Housing Initiatives.

An Icy Conference in DC
Collaborations are a valuable resource

Relationships in Washington, DC are a little icy lately anyway.  Add to that an inch of sleet and freezing rain and the place becomes downright treacherous.


Few Vacant Units to be Found in DSM
New report shows low vacancies, rising rents

For the fifth consecutive year, rents are on the rise in Greater Des Moines. The 2015 installment of CBRE Hubbell's Apartment Survey shows that affordable apartments in Central Iowa are increasingly hard to come by. Our region's vacancy rate of 4.1% is the lowest rate in 20 years, pushing rents up to historic highs. The average monthly rent for a 2-bedroom apartment in Greater Des Moines is now $796, up from $781 a year ago. For the first time, one-bedroom units are now averaging over $700/month, at $713.


Spotlight on U.S. Bank
Longtime supporter has granted funds since 1998

The Polk County Housing Trust Fund thanks U.S. Bank for its continued commitment to providing safe, stable, and affordable housing for all Polk County residents. Since 1998, U.S. Bank has generously granted PCHTF $54,000 that has directly supported our housing provider partners in their efforts to help low-income people find and retain affordable homes.

 

Susie Osby Has the Floor
Local group experiences Portland's creative and collaborative approach to end homelessness
While reading studies and listening to experts can be helpful, sometimes you just have to go and see the challenges and solutions of another city in person.  Recently Susie Osby of Polk County Health Services and Continuum of Care Board Member, and a group of seven other Des Moines area leaders went to Portland, Oregon to see firsthand how the community is working to end homelessness and provide affordable housing.  It was a trip filled with insights, lessons and a couple surprises.

Powerful Information
PCHTF hosts final Housing Tomorrow listening session
PCHTF will host a dinner at Corinthian Baptist Church, 814 School St. in Des Moines, from 5:30 to 8 PM on Thursday, March 12. The dinner will provide an opportunity for our community to share their thoughts about housing in Greater Des Moines before PCHTF staff finishes writing Housing Tomorrow, to be released in late April. To RSVP, call our office at 282-3233, or email [email protected].
Plan DSM seeks input for city's future
The City of Des Moines is updating its comprehensive plan in a process called Plan DSM. Plan DSM will shape how the city looks in 2040, dealing with topics from transportation to parks to housing. If you live in Des Moines, make your voice heard at a public meeting on March 10 from 6 to 8 PM at Polk County River Place. Don't forget to advocate for affordable housing!

Read more about Plan DSM in The Des Moines Register by clicking here.
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Contact Us 108 3rd Street Ste. 350 Des Moines, IA 50309 Phone: (515) 282-3233 Fax: (515) 282-8444

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