Feb 13, 2026 - Business

Des Moines to buy first home under new housing strategy

Jason Clayworth

Small beige house with front porch on hill, white brick garage below with driveway, wooden retaining wall on right, leafless trees, clear blue sky, realty sign visible. — This house at 1656 Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway is the first to be purchased under the city of Des Moines' new housing strategy and will be demolished in the coming months. Photo: Jason Clayworth/Axios

Des Moines City Council unanimously approved the first property acquisition tied to its new citywide housing strategy this week.

Why it matters: The home at 1656 Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway marks the start of a massive, long-term effort to demolish or improve entire city blocks, home to thousands of neglected houses that have been called "an albatross."

Catch up quick: DSM has among the nation's oldest housing stock.

Problems with conditions and affordability persist despite government programs that have allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to revitalize it over the past few decades.

Zoom in: DSM hired a consultant in 2024 to help draft a plan to guide future housing decisions and maximize future investments.

Initial concepts included redevelopment of up to 300 blocks through a mix of acquisitions, demolitions and new construction.

Yes, but: The final plan approved last year called for a more nuanced, targeted, block-by-block approach to revitalization and reinvestment, with city officials emphasizing that they have no plans for large-scale demolitions or for pushing out residents.

The latest: There is no imminent development plan for the area, including the first home and the adjacent vacant lot that the council agreed to purchase.

The house will be demolished, and the lots will ultimately be sold with a broader housing strategy in mind, the city's Neighborhood Services director Chris Johansen tells Axios.

By the numbers: The city will pay $188,000 for properties assessed at $114,000 in total, according to the Polk County Assessor.

The home was for sale earlier this year for $220,000.

The intrigue: The adjacent properties at 2003 and 2009 Washington Avenue had their homes demolished through public nuisance actions in recent years.

The city owns one of the lots, and the other was obtained by Greater DSM Habitat for Humanity via a tax sale deed in 2023, assessor records show.

The bottom line: DSM's city government is now pursuing voluntary acquisition opportunities in areas targeted under the new housing strategy.

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Des Moines to buy first home under new housing strategy

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