Page 105 - Reflect DSM (City of Des Moines, IA)

3. What are the current issues we should be aware of?
» Affordable housing
» Exclusivity by design
» Deconversions of multifamily to single-family homes
» Transit system
» Too many zoning type restrictions and single-family only neighborhoods, and use of regulations to keep
out low-income people
» Large, new developments with no individuality
» Food deserts
» Education for immigrants
» Language barriers
» Adaptive reuse of schools and opportunities for trades training
» Restoration of vacant buildings for affordable and senior housing
» Lack of awareness of historic districts for home buyers including no requirement of historic district
disclosure for property sales
» Lack of funding for homeowners for appropriate improvements
» Lack of know-how for property owners to restore their historic buildings

4. Who should we be talking to?
» DSM Black Liberation Movement
» Home Inc
» Rally Cap Properties
» AARP
» Artists
» Inner-city teachers
» Long time business owners
» Ravina Homes
» Nurses
» Neighborhood associations
» Realtors
» Des Moines Mutual Aid
» Refugee Alliance

While the conversation among groups and after each of the three questions was extremely productive, only
12 community members attended the meeting. In order to solicit additional feedback, the consultant team
is discussing options with staff to engage the community, including the online survey discussed on page 6.

4

Adopted Plan (September 2023) 99