Polk County Housing Trust Fund
Issue: Spring 2018

 
Get ready for Affordable Housing Week!
Our sixth Affordable Housing Week celebration will be here before we know it. We're working hard to bring you a week of opportunities to learn more about our community's need for affordable homes. Join us  April 16-21 for one or all of our free public events to learn, network, and engage in a discussion about affordable housing. Be one of the first to register at the links below!
  • Monday, April 16, 8-11 AM: Landlord Forum: Cross-Cultural Communication (RSVP here)
    • Are you a landlord or property manager? Join us for the fifth installment of our free Landlord Forum. This year, we're partnering with the Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa and OpportUNITY to bring you an educational program focused on working with refugees and immigrants. We'll share tips for working across language and cultural barriers and provide resources to help ease communication.
  • Wednesday, April 18, 9 AM-1 PM: Stable, Steady, Strong Bus Tour & Lunch (RSVP here)
    • Ride the bus with us as we visit our supportive service program providers! These programs supported by our Stable, Steady, Strong fundraising campaign help our neighbors work toward self-sufficiency through finding affordable homes, homeownership counseling, job training, case management, and more. Join us for a complimentary lunch after the tour (beginning at 11:30) to celebrate our donors and learn more about the programs they support.
  • Friday, April 20, 8:30-11 AM: Housing Matters for Iowa's Economy 2018 (RSVP here)
    • For the fourth year of our annual symposium, we'll discuss the role of affordable housing to workforce attraction and retention in Iowa. Keynote speaker Lisa Sturtevant, Senior Visiting Fellow at the Urban Land Institute, will share her research on these issues and moderate a panel of local business and government leaders. We hope you'll join us for an engaging discussion of this vitally important issue.
  • Saturday, April 21, 10-11:30 AM: Can I Be Your Neighbor Design Challenge (no RSVP needed)
    • We're partnering with ASK Studio and  Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines for the sixth year of the Can I Be Your Neighbor Design Challenge, a competition for high school design students. Join us at Grand View University's Krumm Centrum to see presentations from the finalists who have created the best affordable home designs, and see who wins a scholarship!
Affordable Housing News
PCHTF Kicks Off Stable, Steady, Strong 2018 Campaign
A stronger economy begins at home. Literally.
"We cannot attract and retain the best employees if there is not housing available for them that they can afford.  Therefore, if we want our community to continue to grow, it is more critical than ever that we join the Polk County Housing Trust Fund in this important endeavor."
- Rick Tollakson, President & CEO, Hubbell Realty
Honorary Chair, Stable, Steady, Strong 2018 Campaign 

Read more about this year's campaign at the link below!

Jeff Damman Has the Floor
From rural to urban, all communities need affordable homes
Like many of you, where I live now is not where I grew up.

I grew up on a farm near Newton, now live in Ankeny, and have a livelihood tied to the economic vitality of Greater Des Moines and Iowa as a whole. I believe all people deserve to have a safe and affordable place to live and I also believe our state's economic wellbeing is determined in part by if employees can find the right mix of housing options in the communities where they work.

Jeff Damman, VP/Commercial Lender at MetaBank and PCHTF Board Treasurer.
Powerful Information
Affordable housing continues to make headlines
Have you heard the news? Central Iowa needs more affordable homes. Awareness is building, and local reporters are covering new housing stories nearly every week. Thank you to the journalists who are helping us raise awareness of this critical need, and exploring how it impacts our community. Here are a couple recent articles, in case you missed it:
Save the date for "Art & More for Shelter"
Hawthorn Hill's 9th annual fundraiser event, "Art & More for Shelter," will be held Thursday, April 26 from 6 to 9 PM at West End Architectural Salvage in Downtown Des Moines. Art & More for Shelter is a fun event that combines a silent auction, music, drinks, and stories from Hawthorn Hill families. Come out and support a longtime partner in creating affordable homes and wraparound services for families here in Central Iowa. Tickets will be available soon on Hawthorn Hill's website, or call (515) 244-9748 for more information.
Contact Us 505 5th Ave, Suite 1000 Des Moines, IA 50309 Phone: (515) 282-3233

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