Two vacant hotels in central Iowa are being converted into supportive housing projects by the nonprofit group Greater Des Moines Supportive Housing.
After a five-year search for the sites, each hotel will offer permanent housing for some 200 people who are homeless or who have little to no income.
The nonprofit’s CEO, Emily Osweiler, says these are supportive housing projects, which means each one will offer on-site support services.
Osweiler says, “So things like case manager offices, adult classrooms, a media center, a big living room space like you would have in your home.”
She says they will also provide counseling, life skills training and a food pantry with essential items. Osweiler says having affordable units and support in one place addresses two sides of the homelessness system.
“We as a community are not doing enough prevention and diversion,” she says. “We don’t have enough affordable and supportive housing inventory.”
The site in Urbandale will feature 104 studio apartments, while the hotel in West Des Moines will have 89.
They expect to complete renovations by late 2027.
