DES MOINES, Iowa — Des Moines nonprofit Anawim Housing has a plan in the works to convert a motel on Merle Hay Road into affordable housing units.
While there are many steps that still need to take place until that becomes a reality, Anawim has secured a purchase agreement and is allocating funding.
Cynthia Latcham, executive director of Anawim Housing, says the project is expected to cost $4 million.
Monday, the Des Moines City Council approved an allocation of housing funds from the American Rescue Plan to go to the project.
"We’re exploring the option of looking at ways we can solve gaps in our community," said Latcham. "One of the things that we know in our community is that the current funding and relationships that work within Polk County are leaving behind a certain population of people. So we started thinking about what could we do in our community to make a difference and to really fill those gaps?"
Their solution is to convert 72 units into mostly studio apartments, with some one-bedroom units. All rooms will be retrofitted with kitchenettes.
Latcham says the project will not be a homeless shelter, because tenants with income pay rent. It will help serve the populations of those with low incomes, those who have been in situations that may have caused them to experience homelessness.
Tenants who are employed will pay rent, no higher than 30% of their earned income. Anawim will work with all tenants to develop life goals and provide access to behavioral health services if needed. They will also work with tenants who are unemployed to secure employment.
Tim Shanahan, executive director of Hawthorn Hill, says more affordable options are a long time coming.
"There's a complete lack of truly affordable housing for many families that have been experiencing homelessness," said Shanahan.
He said while he knows few details of Anawim's project with Days Inn, he suspects it will be very helpful to Iowans who have been hit hard financially by COVID-19 and are staying afloat because of the American Rescue Plan's eviction moratorium. That's set to end in June.
"In July and August, we're going to see a tremendous increase in homelessness," said Shanahan.
Latcham says it's important for neighbors to not cast blame on those who are experiencing homelessness, because often, they were never given a fair shot at life.
"Most of the time people's homelessness is a result of childhood trauma," she said. "Aging out of foster care is a huge predictor of ending up in homelessness."
Latcham says if all goes well, they hope to have a ribbon cutting in 2022.