Neighborhood Conservation Services Roles and Responsibilities
The NCS Division will actively provide housing opportunities for low and moderate income families and individuals to maintain and expand the housing stock and to encourage the revitalization of neighborhoods. . NCS strives to implement affordable housing programs using a friendly, service oriented delivery system that maintains human dignity for low-mod income families and individuals while satisfying all federal requirements and being good stewards of public funding.
Contact Information
Neighborhood Conservation Services
Argonne Armory Building
602 Robert D Ray Drive
1st Floor
Des Moines, IA 50309
Email
(T) (515) 283-4182
(F) (515) 237-1687
We are open to serve you Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Funding Partners
The City of Des Moines partners with many local non-profit funding sources to provide services to developers, contractors and landlords. Some of these partners are:
NFC (Neighborhood Finance Corporation)
IFA (Iowa Finance Authority)
PCHTF (Polk County Housing Trust Fund)
IDED (Iowa Department of Economic Development)
Home Owner Rehabilitation Program
This program promotes the improvement of homeowner properties in Des Moines. The program provides forgivable loans to eligible property owners and is designed to respond to deferred maintenance problems that have created an emergency situation or lead paint remediation for families with children under the age of six (6) that have been referred by the Polk County Health Department.
Homebuyer Programs
This program provides a unique opportunity for housing developers and the City of Des Moines to create quality affordable homeownership for Des Moines’ low-mod income families. There are two programs available to developers (1) New Construction – Gap Subsidy and (2) Acquisition/Rehabilitation – Gap Subsidy. Both programs provide a subsidy to a developer to cover the difference between the cost to construct or rehabilitate a home and the home’s appraised value (sale price). This gap subsidy allows developers to build and rehab homes that have greater financial risk than would be feasible under normal underwriting standards. NCS distributes Request for Proposals (RFP) notifying developers of the opportunity to submit plans, specifications and financial estimates for the New Construction program. Proposals are reviewed competitively and projects receiving the greatest number of points will receive funding. Applications for the Acquisition/Rehabilitation program are accepted on a first come, first serve basis with non-profit agencies receiving top priority. The Acquisition/Rehab applications are funded based on available funding at the time of application. For more information or to be placed on the RFP mailing list, please email us at askncs@dmgov.org .
Rental Programs
This program provides an opportunity for landlords, housing developers, and the City of Des Moines to build or rehabilitate affordable rental housing to Des Moines’ low-mod income residents. There are two programs available to developers (1) New Construction – Gap Subsidy and (2) Acquisition/Rehabilitation– Gap Subsidy. Both programs provide a subsidy to a developer to cover the cost to construct or rehabilitate rental units. This gap subsidy allows developers to build and rehab rental units that have greater financial risk than would be feasible under normal underwriting standards. NCS funding is structured as a loan and includes income and rent restrictions for renters which the owner or manager is required to comply and monitor. NCS accepts applications for the New Construction and Acquisition/Rehabilitation program on a first come, first serve basis with non-profit agencies receiving top priority. Generally the New Construction projects utilize the - Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) administered by the Iowa Finance Authority. All projects are funded based on the availability of funds and City Council approval. For more information please email us at askncs@dmgov.org .
If you are interested in the Low Income Housing Tax Credit process, please click here to review the checklist of needed documents.
Contractors
NCS works with local contractors to implement housing programs to low-mod income residents within the City of Des Moines. To become a contractor for these programs, please complete an application.
A complete application must be submitted along with the following documentation of your licensing.
Lead Safe Work Practices Renovator Certification
State of Iowa Contractor License
To obtain either of these licenses, please visit the State of Iowa website at www.idph.state.ia.us or www.iowaworkforce.org/labor/contractor.htm
If you are interested in becoming a Lead Abatement Contractor, please contact the State of Iowa, Department of Public Health for more information, training schedules and requirements. The website for the Iowa Department of Public Health is: www.idph.state.ia.us .
Lien Satisfaction
If you are in need of obtaining a release for an expired lien or mortgage from the City of Des Moines, Community Development Department, NCS Division, please click here .
Please provide the following when making your request:
Property Address
Contact/Return information for satisfaction
Approximate closing date*
* All requests require up to seven (7) business days for processing.