Work That Impacts Housing Coalition (WTIHC)

Project Description

Polk County Housing Trust Fund’s Work That Impacts Housing Coalition (WTIHC) addresses the Community Foundation Grantmaking Priorities of (1) Fostering Inclusive Economic & Workforce Development and (2) Advancing Community Health & Resilience. WTIHC intends to position low-income working adults to obtain a more profitable and sustainable career in the building trades industry, allowing them to invest in their neighborhoods alongside Des Moines’ Improving Our Neighborhoods (ION) contractors.

WTIHC is a collaborative effort among a list of community organizations and corporations to navigate our neighbors who need additional support to make this leap into a new career. WTIHC takes this context to construct a pre-apprenticeship program that provides a pathway for low-income adults on the trajectory to increase their income year by year in the building trades. But this unique initiative focused on upskilling and reskilling working adults who self-select to enter a new career path has an even broader impact. Further, it helps homeowners in need to keep their homes by providing the necessary interior repairs to improve the health and safety of their homes, to prevent the chance of displacement.

Addressing the issues mentioned at a systemic level empowers individuals and families to build stronger, more sustainable financial realities and removes barriers to career progression by upskilling and reskilling. These economic and workforce-related issues connect with the Capital Crossroads Roadmap’s workforce housing pillar and the Here We Grow initiative. Furthermore, key findings in the One Economy: A Path Forward and Nuestro Iowa reports note income, housing, and workforce development as critical areas of concern for historically marginalized communities, specifically in the Greater Des Moines region.

The WTIHC program presents an opportunity for low-to-moderate income individuals and families, who typically do not have access to disposable funds for programs offered by InvestDSM. Strategically, WTIHC ensures homeowners in identified underinvested and underserved neighborhoods can live and sustain healthy homes regardless of income. This also empowers the economic health of these respective neighborhoods and creates stronger financial realities across our community.