[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6391910,"mediaKeyId","2110759-1f38b3640a8a56eab78afc23379e7756","parentId",2110759,"title","Consultant outlines Des Moines housing strategy: 45,000 older units, $1B ad valorem gap, three policy paths","audioSeconds",865,"startMs",869000,"endMs",3963,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2110759-1f38b3640a8a56eab78afc23379e7756&start=869&end=3","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2110759-1f38b3640a8a56eab78afc23379e7756/thumbnail_869000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6391910/Des-Moines/Polk-County/Iowa/Consultant-outlines-Des-Moines-housing-strategy-45000-older-units-1B-ad-valorem-gap-three-policy-paths","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6391910-31b208eed14bba60ed6cf7de46f54e64/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153318&Signature=KEjgEtd~j4LvS4HZQLZ6w9QaPp0k6R4Q1fgO6fVY4D1QzWo7kxeBEV4ddZ8S6QUr6MTNvkCvEbp~kB9jw6hGHLKtPOmD11I5dnc98rgnPJ~Y96xuT6EOkXZR42JnZOIE4usiWZ7WjvdvdNSIAwvdzXXS-VCrPTHPvUmBKHKocfi0M8x1Xmp-b9No3CcpiNsow2M3X0uX3n6SWZbMgOPjJCDBBQA2HqebtjAkMDECtbYW43Fo~7BMk5K8HlMYN0SU4af5PL7~qa9-z1tdYrxNVyYFPyIOQZOaA6Q1yWk95szkxnjvCsieHsW-2JcLNPKHRZSPrXXZrczXtfLy4PAXdA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Des Moines, IA","date","2025-01-13T00:00:00Z","article","A housing‑strategy consultant presented a citywide update at the Des Moines City Council work session on Jan. 13, summarizing market analysis, constraints and three broad policy options for council consideration.

Charles, the consultant, told the council the Des Moines market is “generally healthy” but carries two structural vulnerabilities: geographically concentrated financially vulnerable households and a large stock of smaller, older and neglected homes. He said the city has about 96,000 housing units and estimated roughly 45,000 — about one in two units — are “older, smaller, neglected” stock. “When you have 45,000 or 1 of 2 older, smaller, neglected, you have limited demand,” he said.

The consultant presented several headline figures drawn from months of analysis: he cited a shortfall of roughly 13,000 households earning $100,000 or more (relative to a proportionally balanced Polk County benchmark), about 9,800 additional households with incomes under $50,000 (which he associated with roughly 14,000 cost‑burdened renter households), an estimated $1,000,000,000 ad valorem deficit tied to suppressed property values, and an affordability gap he summarized at about $3,000,000,000.

Charles framed the policy choice around three options: (1) stay the course, (2) make only minor tweaks, or (3) “act differently” with large, sustained interventions. He described tradeoffs and financing realities: many rehabilitation and TIF efforts yield measurable leverage but leave a large portion of the problem unresolved. “You got a $3,000,000,000 issue here and no leverage,” he said of the affordability gap, and he emphasized that private capital is unlikely to solve that portion without public subsidy.

On interventions, Charles discussed rehabilitation, selective acquisition and redevelopment, and infill/new construction as complementary strategies. He described one redevelopment example conceptually: acquire adjacent lots, remove older structures, and replace them with several new units in order to increase supply and the tax base while mixing market‑rate and affordable units. He cautioned that not all older homes are suitable for conversion and that parcel size, lot configuration and block patterns affect strategy choices.

Councilmembers asked technical and policy questions about benchmarks, jurisdictional comparisons, annexation/metro differences and school impacts. One councilmember noted housing is a societal problem that transcends city boundaries; Charles and staff observed the city also faces a “free‑rider” reality with suburban competition and limitations in state annexation law.

No formal policy decision was taken. The consultant said the team aims to deliver a draft strategy in the coming weeks that can be paired with PlanDSM, the city’s zoning and land‑use guidance, and the capital improvement program to give council concrete options ahead of budget deliberations.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","1-13-25 City Council – Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","Consultants presented a citywide housing strategy update on Jan. 13, identifying about 45,000 older, smaller and neglected housing units and laying out three broad policy pathways to address market and affordability shortfalls.","taxTitle","Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa","taxId",4694,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6391915,"City hears Invest DSM expansion plans; consultant cites 4.37 leverage ratio",794,275000,1069000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2110759-1f38b3640a8a56eab78afc23379e7756&start=275&end=1069","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2110759-1f38b3640a8a56eab78afc23379e7756/thumbnail_275000.jpg","/articles/6391915/Des-Moines/Polk-County/Iowa/City-hears-Invest-DSM-expansion-plans-consultant-cites-437-leverage-ratio","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6391915-afa8e2985222d272cbca5137f1b76501/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153318&Signature=GuCTKeeF1fFnkOLTWKk4RZKuTkYmfKN5zWIk8~27U9NX0PFfF33DgqEfG8OcjQaAFG7jzA4NW4VlHq3X2pghUFS8PGDSum6jZZk44tz-B~nndQKwEXTIuc-w1MFADAKQXRI9Z-FTkfhmwxK2DITLbvzCNS3OA1vO9P9P02X-XmAMid279VmCk7WczoSpmSeyFTVHlPrtBjdRitbSAa6~JjEVRJimM1UY05nje~HhXFdF9qP7qL74maYXJyLOpLblF4COXNrMw4ItcMiSjy8Low1CbkuWzrl5TqkBmIOR04eTO2~P0aJhdpX4VzB9ElI5EXAJJ2hfUC2H~4DeBFkc3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Consultants and Invest DSM staff briefed the Des Moines City Council during a Jan. 13 work session on plans to expand Invest DSM’s special investment districts into two additional neighborhoods and on outreach steps ahead of public open houses.

Charles, the project consultant, said the expansion would grow Invest DSM’s footprint from four concentrated geographic areas to six and pointed to metrics the team considers central to the proposal. “A buck in is generating 4.37 out,” he said, describing what he called the program’s leverage ratio. He said Invest DSM’s roughly $14,000,000 in investment has been matched by about $62.5 million, producing “almost $80,000,000 of upgrades” across more than 1,300 projects.

The presentation named Union Park North and North Grand/Woodland Heights as the two neighborhoods planned for the next phase of Invest DSM activity and said draft plans will be available and presented at public open houses scheduled for Feb. 10–12. Charles said the planning process has been guided by resident input, steering‑committee direction, surveys and open houses and that staff and the Invest DSM board will continue to iterate drafts over the coming weeks.

Some councilmembers raised equity and boundary questions. Councilman Gatto said, “the folks that I represent get 0 benefit from this program through redistricting,” and warned that he may withdraw support if the city does not change the allocation before the budget cycle: “Or else, you're gonna lose my support on this program.” Charles responded that organizations expanding from four to six districts sometimes adjust the original four temporarily and said the team expected additional geographic consideration in future phases.

Council inquiries included requests for data on housing-unit configurations (bedrooms and bathroom counts) citywide; staff said they will provide the raw data and analysis requested. The consultant also noted a dominant house type in the two target neighborhoods: “greater than 75% of the stocks in these neighborhoods … are 1 bathroom homes,” and he flagged that as a planning and intervention challenge.

No formal vote or ordinance was taken during the work session. The council and staff set a schedule to return with draft plans and to conduct the announced open houses.

The council reconvened later the same day for its regular meeting.

","Consultants updated the Des Moines City Council work session on plans to expand Invest DSM’s special investment districts into two additional neighborhoods and previewed public open houses. Councilmembers raised equity concerns about district boundaries after recent redistricting.","actionData","errors"]

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Consultant outlines Des Moines housing strategy: 45,000 older units, $1B ad valorem gap, three policy paths

City hears Invest DSM expansion plans; consultant cites 4.37 leverage ratio