The sun has officially set on the chance for a new 43 unit affordable housing project to be built in the city of Urbandale. The proposed Merle Hay Apartments were geared towards families with an annual income of $50,000 or less and was awarded $7.5 million in federal tax credits -- which will now simply go unused and disappear. The proposed location was a large, unused parking lot at Merle Hay Mall, and the project would have brought the total number of affordable housing developments in the city to two, which is the least in Greater Des Moines. For a city with more than 43,000 residents, it's a sad reality that the one and only affordable housing project it has is one that was built back in 1996.
While this is a huge loss for The City of Urbandale and Polk County, we are very proud of the wide-spread support we have received, and action that has been taken to speak to City Council members directly on this matter. The fight for affordable housing and speaking for those who need a voice continues and is needed more than ever.
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