Collaboration begets collaboration
by Lance Henning
CEO, Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity
Lance Henning. Photo by Duane Tinkey
Lance Henning has led Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity since 2003.
At Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity, we’re focused on creating, preserving and championing affordable homeownership. From day one, we’ve served Central Iowans who spend too much on housing — often for substandard or cramped conditions — only to make sacrifices in other areas like purchasing healthy foods, transportation, education and extracurricular activities for their children.
The U.S. needs 5 million more homes, and Central Iowa needs hundreds more than its current pace of building. And even those who own homes are struggling, as 40% of renters are cost-burdened, while housing prices are rising faster than wage growth in Central Iowa and in 80% of U.S. markets.
There is an African Proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Amid a Central Iowa housing crisis, it is easy to focus on the many obstacles we need to overcome to meaningfully reduce the housing deficit and ensure that everyone has a safe, decent place to live. However, I am encouraged every day to see that change is happening, and collaboration has been key as GDM Habitat for Humanity scales and grows our impact.
Just southwest of the junction of Highway 65 and Hubbell Avenue, we’re hard at work finalizing the infrastructure for Carter Court, a brand-new development of 15 single-family homes. The homes will help provide a safe, stable, affordable future for the households that will purchase them in 2025. Acquiring the land, preparing the infrastructure and constructing the homes is supported by a partnership with the city of Des Moines, corporate sponsors, Polk County Housing Trust Fund and funding through the Framing Our Future capital campaign.
Nestled along a newly paved bike trail in Waukee sits the site of GDM Habitat for Humanity’s largest development ever: Walnut Crossing. Homebuyers for phase one have begun the application process as our team finalizes house plans for this 48-unit townhome neighborhood. None of that work would be possible without critical collaboration with the city of Waukee, plus Framing Our Future campaign funding and additional funding sources, like the state of Iowa’s workforce housing tax credit award announced late this summer.
This kind of collaboration is essential on a smaller scale, too. On the corner of Eighth and Vine streets in West Des Moines, we gathered with local business leaders and government officials in August to celebrate the completed restoration of a beautiful, 100-year-old home. Through partnership with the city of West Des Moines, additional funding from the city’s Historic West Des Moines Housing Fund and support from corporate partners, we were able to bring a once-dilapidated, two-story home back to life. Soon, a new family will begin making memories after purchasing the home with an affordable mortgage. This home would not have been restored without partnership from our key collaborators.
The logo of the Historic West Des Moines Housing Fund is an apt visual metaphor for what it takes to create affordable homeownership in 2024: four colorful puzzle pieces assembling into the shape of a home. For each of GDM Habitat for Humanity’s major initiatives, including critical home repairs, housing counseling, financial education and our other key programs, those puzzle pieces are the most important part of our strategic planning. Who will work alongside us to purchase land for new developments, innovate new housing types or orchestrate finances to make reinvestment in our mission possible immediately?
In many of these discussions, collaboration begets more collaboration. Every partnership, every grant, every key financial gift is a vote of confidence in our mission and our future plans to increase the housing supply. GDM Habitat for Humanity’s experience and track record of helping the Central Iowa workforce succeed with homeownership and working in partnership with local city and county leaders, state leaders, CEOs, philanthropists, neighborhood leaders and volunteers will allow us to continue to create and preserve affordable homeownership. With our community’s housing challenges threatening our healthy and thriving Central Iowa, GDM Habitat for Humanity is ready to partner more and ready to build more, serving more hardworking Central Iowans who struggle with their housing today.