Des Moines gets surge in Section 8 demand
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For the first time in two decades, Des Moines had to turn people away from its Section 8 wait list.
Why it matters: The surge in applications shows that many more residents can't afford housing in the metro.
State of play: The Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency, which administers the federal Section 8 program in Polk County, received $22 million in federal funds for rental assistance this year.
- The money supports apartments that automatically accept Section 8, and vouchers that participants can use to find housing themselves.
What's happening: In July, the agency opened its Section 8 wait list for the first time in 18 months. More than 7,500 people applied in two days for just 4,500 spots.
- Those who weren't selected by the computerized lottery system will have to wait at least another 18 months before it opens again, Chris Johansen, executive director of the housing agency, says.
Plus: That's just to get on the wait list — only about 35 families leave the program each month, meaning wait-listed families could spend years before they receive actual aid.
- Those who don't get on the wait list or get assistance spend as much as 50% or more of their income on housing.
What they're saying: "The 7,500 was way more than we ever anticipated," Johansen says.
Zoom out: Like in much of the U.S., soaring rent costs in Des Moines have priced out local families.
- The average Section 8 subsidy per Polk County household climbed to $590 this year, up from $466 in 2022.
- Meanwhile, federal funding hasn't kept pace with rising rents, leaving help for fewer families.
- Des Moines holds 3,800 total vouchers but can afford to fund only 3,126 of them, leaving about 700 families without assistance, Johansen says.
Reality check: An unusually high number of out-of-state people also applied for Des Moines' Section 8 vouchers, though they accounted for only 1,000-1,500 applicants, Johansen says.
- Vouchers are portable, per federal rules, and can drain the local budget. Around 48 people with Des Moines vouchers are living out of state.
The intrigue: A new state law allowing landlords to turn away renters who are using Section 8 vouchers went into effect in 2023.
- This year, about 78% of the families with vouchers found housing.
What's next: The Des Moines Housing Authority will reassess its funding once it gets federal money in January.