$1.5 Million in Community Foundation Grants Advance Permanent Housing with Supportive Services in Greater Des Moines
Greater Des Moines Supportive Housing (GDMSH) has been awarded $1.5 million in grants from the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines to support two new campuses in Urbandale and West Des Moines.
The Community Foundation provided early support for the project through a $500,000 Leadership Grant from the Better Together Fund and a $1 million Catalyst Circle grant to help secure two former extended stay hotels. The properties will become Starling, an 89-unit campus located at 2701 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines, and Solstice, a 104-unit campus located at 3940 114th Street in Urbandale.
Together, the campuses expand affordable housing options for individuals experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Integrated, on-site services, including case management, financial literacy, employment support and specialized programming, will help residents build a stronger foundation for long-term success.
“These grants represent significant support in our housing continuum that will serve a wide range of vulnerable populations, while expanding needed capacity for housing in our region,” said Kristi Knous, president of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines. “The campuses directly advance the Blueprint to Address Homelessness by pairing safe, stable housing with supportive services that help individuals build greater stability and well-being. It is exactly the type of coordinated, community-driven solution needed to make progress toward ensuring that everyone in our region has a safe place to call home.”
The Blueprint to Address Homelessness is a five-year strategic vision plan that reflects community-defined priorities for improving services and resources within the homelessness response system throughout the greater metro area. The Blueprint focuses on improvement in seven key areas that ultimately achieve better housing and quality of life for residents who experience homelessness and is intended to be nimble and responsive in the ever-changing landscape of addressing homelessness in our region.
“Housing is foundational,” said Emily Osweiler, CEO of Greater Des Moines Supportive Housing. “The investment from the Community Foundation, including the Catalyst Circle, strengthens our community’s housing continuum by expanding supportive units at a time of significant need and creates environments where individuals can stabilize, access services and work toward long-term housing security.”
Leadership Grants from the Community Foundation are grounded in regional and community plan alignment. They invest in initiatives that drive change, significantly influence community outcomes and/or challenge existing systems to address the root causes of community issues through targeted strategies. Leadership Grants are made possible by the Better Together Fund.
Donor support of the Better Together Fund provides for community needs now and into the future, as identified through the Community Foundation’s grantmaking process facilitated by the organization’s expert staff, Grantmaking Committee and Board of Directors.
The Catalyst Circle of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines brings together like-minded people working to make significant investments in transformational community projects throughout Greater Des Moines.
GDMSH will begin renovation work this fall and expects to welcome residents in late 2027. To learn more about this project and to get involved, click here.