Community Housing Initiatives
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersSpencer, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Community Housing Initiatives firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Community Housing Initiatives
- Legal name
- Community Housing Initiatives, Inc.
- Website
- https://chihousing.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Community Housing Initiatives industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Affordable Housing
- NAICS
- Residential Building Construction (2361)
- SIC
- Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Residential Affordable Housing Development & Construction (IMAFABAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8) (BPAJAFAD), Independent Living Community Development & Construction (Senior Housing Developers) (HLADAAAH), Affordable Rental & Multifamily Housing Finance Programs (LIHTC/Tax Credits/Subsidized Loans) (FSALAKAF)
Keywords
Where Community Housing Initiatives is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Spencer
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Community Housing Initiatives business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Rental Income: Monthly rental income from approximately 1,500 units of affordable rental housing developed and managed by CHI across Iowa communities.
- Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC): Most apartments developed under LIHTC program rules where households with qualifying income pay below-market rents.
- HOME Program: Rental procedures follow HOME program funding rules, providing affordable housing options for qualifying households.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Studio and 1-bedroom units |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | 2-bedroom units |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | 3-bedroom and larger units |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Community Housing Initiatives product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Community Housing Initiatives develops, owns, and manages a portfolio of approximately 1,500 affordable rental housing units across 60 properties in 31 Iowa cities, including apartments, townhomes, duplexes, and homes. Most units are developed under the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and HOME programs, with rents set on an income-qualifying basis below market rates. The company supports residents with on-site property management, eviction prevention, health and wellness liaison coordination, and community building programs.
Product overview
Community Housing Initiatives operates as a nonprofit affordable housing developer and property manager offering a comprehensive portfolio of housing solutions across Iowa. The core offering consists of approximately 1,500 affordable rental units managed across 60 properties in 30+ communities, including apartments, townhomes, duplexes, and single-family homes. The portfolio is supported by an online apartment search platform (powered by RentCafe) and digital resident services including online applications and a resident portal for rent payment and maintenance requests. Resident Services provides eviction prevention, health liaison support, and community building programs. Individual property sub-brands include River City Apartments (historic Mason City YMCA), Sunset Apartments (award-winning senior community in Spencer), Van Fossen Square (senior living in Adel), and Penn Oaks (family apartments in North Liberty).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Affordable Rental Housing Portfolio Portfolio of ~1,500 units of quality affordable rental housing across 60 properties in 31 Iowa cities, offering apartments, townhomes, duplexes, and single-family homes developed under LIHTC and HOME program rules for income-qualified households.
- Resident Services Comprehensive resident support including eviction prevention, physical and mental health liaison coordination, successful families programs, community building initiatives, and communications support to help residents access government resources and maintain stable housing.
- Housing Development Services Real estate development services for multifamily affordable housing, including new construction, historic adaptive re-use projects, and housing for special-needs populations (elderly and disabled), developed under LIHTC and HOME program guidelines in partnership with Iowa communities.
- Asset and Property Management Oversight of rental housing portfolio performance including property maintenance, financial health monitoring, investor relations, and regulatory compliance, guided by NeighborWorks America asset management principles focused on financial sustainability, operational excellence, and triple bottom line.
- Online Apartment Search Platform Web-based property search platform powered by RentCafe allowing users to search available CHI apartments by city, zip code, address, or property name with filtering options for bedrooms, bathrooms, rent range, property type, and amenities.
- Online Application and Resident Portal SecureCafe-powered digital platform enabling prospective residents to apply for apartments online and current residents to pay rent, submit maintenance requests, and access resident services via secure login.
- River City Apartments Historic 1926 YMCA building in Mason City, Iowa, offering 1- and 2-bedroom quality downtown living with community room, elevator access, limited garage parking, and secured entry.
- Sunset Apartments People's Choice award-winning senior apartment community in Spencer, Iowa, serving residents 62+ and people with disabilities with 1-bedroom updated units featuring in-unit laundry and pet-friendly options.
- Van Fossen Square Premier independent living community for seniors 55+ in Adel, Iowa, featuring high-quality one-bedroom apartments in a peaceful country setting with community room, controlled access, and free on-site laundry.
- Penn Oaks Recently remodeled 3-bedroom apartment community in North Liberty, Iowa, next to the library and rec center, with in-unit laundry, patios/balconies, basketball court, gazebo, and playground for families.
Quantifiable outcome
- About 2 in 5 Iowa renter households are cost-burdened by rent (University of Iowa Public Policy Center estimate)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Community Housing Initiatives
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Community Housing Initiatives technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Community Housing Initiatives partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, foundational and core.
- Care Connections of Northern IowasupportingCHI received a Community Impact Grant of $122,094 from Care Connections of Northern Iowa in June 2023. This grant supports CHI's mission of impacting lives of Iowa residents through safe and quality community housing.
- Upper Des Moines Opportunity, Inc.foundationalCHI was founded in 1994 as the housing initiative of Upper Des Moines Opportunity, Inc., a Community Action Program (CAP) that was serving low income Iowans in many ways but recognized a need for adding housing options in communities. CHI has since become an independent nonprofit organization.
- NeighborWorks AmericacoreCHI is part of the NeighborWorks America network of organizations committed to strong financial performance and providing quality service to residents and communities. NeighborWorks America provides guidance on asset management principles focusing on financial sustainability, operational excellence, and triple bottom line (profitability, environmental sustainability, social impact). CHI received a $25,000 grant from NeighborWorks America in October 2024 for flood disaster response in Spencer, Iowa.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Community Housing Initiatives competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Midwest Housing Development Fund (or NeighborWorks Great Plains): NeighborWorks network affiliate serving Iowa and neighboring states with affordable housing development and lending. Direct regional peer within the same NeighborWorks network and overlapping Iowa service geography.
Direct peers
- The NHP Foundation: Nonprofit organization providing affordable multifamily rental housing for low- and moderate-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities. Closely comparable nonprofit owner/operator model in affordable rental housing.
- Mercy Housing: One of the largest US nonprofit affordable housing developers, owning/operating ~50,000 affordable homes across the country. Highly comparable mission-driven LIHTC/HOME operator-developer business model serving low-income renters.
- Volunteers of America (National Services): National nonprofit operating affordable housing, including senior and supportive housing, alongside resident services. Similar integrated services-plus-housing model, though at much greater scale.
- Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH): Nonprofit that preserves and operates affordable rental housing, with emphasis on at-risk properties and supportive resident services. Comparable nonprofit owner/operator model with similar mission focus.
- Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National community development financial institution that finances and supports nonprofit affordable housing developers. Strong functional overlap with CHI around LIHTC-funded nonprofit developers and community-led housing strategy.
- Enterprise Community Partners: Major national nonprofit that develops and finances affordable housing via LIHTC and other federal programs. Operates similar developer + property manager integrated model with resident services and community development expertise.
- Beacon Communities: Affordable housing developer and operator producing mixed-income and historic preservation developments. Comparable developer-operator profile with similar LIHTC-driven affordable rental business.
- National Church Residences: Nonprofit senior housing and services provider that develops and manages affordable housing for seniors across multiple states. Highly comparable given CHI's 55+ senior housing segment (Van Fossen Square, Sunset Apartments).
Broad incumbents
- Habitat for Humanity International: The largest US nonprofit housing organization, primarily focused on affordable homeownership rather than rental. Comparable nonprofit affordable housing mission and NeighborWorks-adjacent model, though it competes more for owner-occupied impact.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Community Housing Initiatives social profiles
Digital presenceCommunity Housing Initiatives financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Community Housing Initiatives leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Community Housing Initiatives funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Community Housing Initiatives M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Community Housing Initiatives
What does Community Housing Initiatives do?
Community Housing Initiatives develops, owns, and manages a portfolio of approximately 1,500 affordable rental housing units across 60 properties in 31 Iowa cities, including apartments, townhomes, duplexes, and homes. Most units are developed under the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and HOME programs, with rents set on an income-qualifying basis below market rates. The company supports residents with on-site property management, eviction prevention, health and wellness liaison coordination, and community building programs.
Is Community Housing Initiatives a public or private company?
Community Housing Initiatives is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Community Housing Initiatives founded?
Community Housing Initiatives was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Community Housing Initiatives based?
Community Housing Initiatives is headquartered in Spencer, United States, in the North America region.
How does Community Housing Initiatives make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Rental Income is the primary driver. The others are low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and HOME Program.
Who are Community Housing Initiatives's main competitors?
Midwest Housing Development Fund (or NeighborWorks Great Plains) is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are The NHP Foundation, Mercy Housing, Volunteers of America (National Services), Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH), Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Enterprise Community Partners, Beacon Communities and National Church Residences. Habitat for Humanity International is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Community Housing Initiatives have an API?
No public API is recorded for Community Housing Initiatives.
What industry is Community Housing Initiatives in?
Community Housing Initiatives's product category is Affordable Housing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFABAI, Residential Affordable Housing Development & Construction, with a secondary code of BPAJAFAD, Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8). Its NAICS code is 2361 and its SIC code is 6513.