Housing

In the Housing Act of 1949 Congress pledged, “a decent home and suitable living environment for every American family.” Within the City of West Des Moines there is a variety of housing options; from single-family to multi-family; both rental and owner-occupied. According to the Special Census of 2005, West Des Moines has 24,158 housing units; sixty-four percent of which are owner-occupied and thirty-five percent are renter-occupied. Housing is an essential and vital asset to the City of West Des Moines.

The City of West Des Moines has four overall goals for meeting housing and community development needs between 2005 and 2009 (per the City’s Consolidated Plan):

1. Produce and preserve both renter and owner-occupied affordable housing;
2. Address infrastructure needs that are tied to affordable housing or job creation;
3. Pursue economic development activities that create living wage jobs for low and moderate-income residents of the community; and
4. Maintain the City’s ability support the provision of special need services, specifically as they are tied to affordable housing or job creation, meet the most urgent needs in the community and reduce demands on other city services.

The City of West Des Moines offers two owner-occupied rehabilitation programs for its residents.  For information on these programs:

• Metro Home Improvement Program
• Neighborhood Finance Corporation Home Improvement Program

Also, the City of West Des Moines works with several housing programs as an administrative entity. The City has been hired by the Dallas County Local Housing Trust Fund, Inc. to provide administrative services to the trust fund. The City is the designated administrative entity for the Metro Home Improvement Program and the Polk City Home Improvement Program. The City administers the Community Development Block Grant funds it receives from the United State Department of Housing and Urban Development.  And finally, the City has joined with the Neigborhood Finance Corporation Home Improvement Loan Program. 

Another program through the Metropolitan Partnership for Lead Safe Housing Program provides assistance to reduce or eliminate lead hazards in housing for income-eligible qualified applicants.

For more information on any of the above mentioned programs:

• Dallas County Local Housing Trust Fund, Inc. (DCLHTF)
• Metro Home Improvement Program
• Community Development Block Grant Program
• Polk City Home Improvement Program
• Neighborhood Finance Corporation Home Improvement Loan Program
• Metropolitan Partnership for Lead Safe Housing Program