What Polk County Housing Trust Fund does

Polk County Housing Trust Fund (PCHTF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit housing trust fund founded in 1995 and headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, with a staff of 1-10 employees. The organization operates as the central planning, funding, and advocacy body for affordable housing in Polk County, providing strategic leadership, grantmaking, and developer capacity-building to address housing affordability across Central Iowa. Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2025, PCHTF has cumulatively helped over 2,099 households find housing, financed more than 1,000 affordable homes, awarded funds for 330 new rental units, and supported the repair or construction of 387+ owner-occupied homes.

PCHTF's program portfolio is structured around four core funding mechanisms (Community Investment grants, Development Funding, and a Revolving Loan Program) plus two specialized initiatives: the Develop the Developer Launchpad (DTDL), a two-phase program offering a two-week intensive boot camp using Freddie Mac's national multifamily developer curriculum followed by a multi-month co-development fellowship (cohort one graduated December 2025, with a Drake Neighborhood 12-unit project targeted to open September 2027); and Work that Impacts Housing, a workforce development initiative combining building-trades pre-apprenticeship with repairs to owner-occupied homes for low- to moderate-income households, partnered with City of Des Moines, Local 106, I.B.E.W. Local 347, and Tri-City/Baker Electric. Supporting assets include the Housing Sites of Opportunity report (Missing Middle Housing analysis with Confluence), a Regional Housing Dashboard, and a Housing Preservation Database covering 10,000+ federally-backed rental properties across Polk, Dallas, and Warren Counties.

PCHTF generates operating revenue through tax-deductible donations, foundation and corporate grants (notably a $500,000 Wells Fargo grant in October 2025 for DTDL and Bank of America's 2025 Neighborhood Builder award providing $50,000 over two years), $500 participant fees from the DTDL boot camp, ticket and sponsorship revenue from annual events (Housing Matters Symposium, Affordable Housing Week, Housing for All Excellence Soiree), and pass-through Community Investment allocations ($2.5 million deployed in the prior year per public commentary). Distribution is executed through direct relationships with developers, nonprofit partners, labor unions, contractors, and the City of Des Moines, rather than through traditional commercial channels. There is no proprietary technology platform, app, or API; core systems are a Wix-hosted website, content channels (podcast, blog, social media), and grant management processes.

Name

Polk County Housing Trust Fund

Legal name

Polk County Housing Trust Fund

Website

https://pchtf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Polk County Housing Trust Fund is a Des Moines-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1995, that plans, funds, and advocates for affordable housing across Polk County, Iowa. It deploys grants, loans, developer training (DTDL), and workforce programs to strengthen affordable housing supply and stability for low-to-moderate income households and emerging developers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Other Community Housing Services (624229), Administration of Housing Programs (925110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Investors, Nec (6799)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA), Government-Backed CRE Lending (FHA/HUD/USDA) (FSALADAE), Community Development & Affordable Housing Funds (FSANAJAK)

Keywords

• Affordable housing programs
• Community development grants
• Housing trust fund
• Workforce housing training
• Housing policy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization accepts tax-deductible contributions from individuals and organizations. Their tax ID number is 42-1510879.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: PCHTF receives grant funding from financial institutions and corporations including a $500,000 grant from Wells Fargo for Develop the Developer Launchpad and a $50,000 grant over two years from Bank of America as a Neighborhood Builder recipient.
3. Community Investment Grant Making: The organization allocates funding to nonprofit programs providing housing stability and success programming through their Community Investment grant making process.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Polk County Housing Trust Fund is a nonprofit housing organization that plans, funds, and advocates for affordable housing in Polk County, Iowa. It provides community investment grants, development funding, revolving loans, and targeted programs such as the Develop the Developer Launchpad (training emerging multifamily developers) and the Work that Impacts Housing Program (building trades pre-apprenticeship combined with home repair). It also publishes housing research and data resources, including the Housing Sites of Opportunity report, Regional Housing Dashboard, and Housing Preservation Database.

Product overview

Polk County Housing Trust Fund is a nonprofit affordable housing organization that operates as a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a unified software product. The organization offers community investment grant making, development funding, revolving loans, and specialized initiatives like the Develop the Developer Launchpad for training emerging multifamily developers, and the Work that Impacts Housing Program for workforce development in building trades. Additional offerings include educational resources such as the Owner Occupied Repair Program Guide, research reports like Housing Sites of Opportunity, the annual Housing Matters Symposium, the Safe Stable & Affordable podcast, and data tools including a Regional Housing Dashboard and Housing Preservation Database.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Develop the Developer Launchpad: A two-phase initiative to cultivate emerging multifamily real estate developers in Polk County, including a two-week boot camp and multi-month fellowship, presented by Wells Fargo.
• Housing Sites of Opportunity
• Work That Impacts Housing Program
• Navigating Housing Together
• Housing Matters Symposium
• Can I Be Your Neighbor Student Design Challenge
• Safe, Stable, and Affordable

Products and services

• Develop the Developer Launchpad A two-phase initiative to cultivate emerging multifamily real estate developers in Polk County, combining a two-week intensive boot camp using Freddie Mac's curriculum with a multi-month co-development fellowship, presented by Wells Fargo.
• Community Investment Grant Program Grant making program that funds critical nonprofit programs providing housing stability and success programming for Polk County residents.
• Development Funding Financial resources to support developers in creating affordable housing developments in Polk County.
• Revolving Loan Program Loan program providing flexible financing for housing development and preservation projects.
• Work that Impacts Housing Program A workforce development initiative providing building trades pre-apprenticeship training while preserving and improving owner-occupied homes for low-to-moderate income homeowners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 330 new rental homes awarded funds in a recent period
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Freddie MaccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPCHTF is an authorized partner for Freddie Mac's Develop the Developer Academy, allowing the DTDL program to be among the first in the country to use the new Freddie Mac multifamily developer curriculum for its local two-week boot camp.
• DEV PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal development firm leading the co-development fellowship phase of the Develop the Developer Launchpad. Fellows participate in a 12-unit housing project with DEV Partners in the Drake Neighborhood, with anticipated opening in September 2027.
• ConfluencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal planning firm partnered with PCHTF to complete the Housing Sites of Opportunity report, analyzing underutilized land in Polk County for Missing Middle Housing development potential.
• Capital CrossroadscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic vision plan for Central Iowa partnering with PCHTF on housing preservation inventory and regional housing initiatives. PCHTF released a housing preservation database in partnership with Capital Crossroads covering Polk, Dallas, and Warren Counties.
• City of Des MoinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Work that Impacts Housing Program, with pre-apprentices assisting the City's Improving Our Neighborhoods (ION) program with interior single-family home repairs for low- and moderate-income homeowners.
• Local 106 Carpentry UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Work that Impacts Housing Program, providing the commercial phase carpentry track where pre-apprentices gain job experience with contractors.
• I.B.E.W. Local 347minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Work that Impacts Housing Program, providing the commercial phase electrical track for pre-apprentices.
• Forest Avenue OutreachminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstructor for the TradesFutures Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3) as part of the five-week residential phase of the Work that Impacts Housing Program.
• Tri-City Electric and Baker ElectricminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContractors providing job experience for pre-apprentices during the commercial phase of the Work that Impacts Housing Program.
• Bankers TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReceived the Collective Impact Award at the 2026 Housing for All Excellence Soiree for over 30+ years of consistent board and committee engagement with PCHTF and other local housing organizations.
• DART (Des Moines Area Regional Transit)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransit agency partnered with PCHTF for bus tours showcasing the connection between housing and transit, including the new Route 4 connecting Downtown Des Moines to surrounding suburbs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Homewise: Regional community development nonprofit combining homeownership education, rehabilitation lending, and developer support. Operates a similar integrated model to PCHTF in a comparable mid-size metro context (Santa Fe region).
• Habitat for Humanity of Iowa: Operates the affiliate network that builds and rehabs affordable homes for low-income households across Iowa. Direct overlap with PCHTF's owner-occupied repair and home-building mission in the same geography.
• Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity: Direct local-market peer operating owner-occupied home construction and repair programs in the Des Moines metro — overlapping with PCHTF's owner-occupied repair work and community investment grantmaking to similar nonprofits.
• Mid Iowa Housing Trust Fund: Comparable regional housing trust fund structure serving central Iowa communities with affordable housing financing and advocacy. Direct structural analogue to PCHTF at the regional trust fund model.

Broad incumbents

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National community development financial institution supporting affordable housing and economic development through grants, loans, and capacity building. Closely analogous mission and toolkit to PCHTF at a national footprint.
• Enterprise Community Partners: National affordable housing nonprofit combining capital, development, and policy advocacy. Comparable to PCHTF in mission and grantmaking/development funding focus, but operating at vastly greater scale across multiple states.
• Mercy Housing: National nonprofit developer and operator of affordable multifamily housing. Comparable to PCHTF in affordable housing development and resident services, with a broader multifamily operating portfolio.
• NeighborWorks America: National network of community-based nonprofits focused on affordable housing and community development. PCHTF's role as a regional convener mirrors NeighborWorks affiliate functions, and its Develop the Developer Launchpad parallels NeighborWorks' training programs.

Emerging players

• Grounded Solutions Network: National membership organization supporting shared equity and community land trust models for permanently affordable housing. Comparable to PCHTF's preservation focus and Missing Middle Housing site analysis work.

Regional players

• Iowa Finance Authority: State housing finance agency administering affordable housing programs, tax credits, and development financing in Iowa. Overlaps with PCHTF's funding-allocation and preservation focus but operates statewide with public-sector authority.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/pchtf
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/pchtf
• Facebookfacebook.com/pchtf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/polk-county-housing-trust-fund
• Instagraminstagram.com/polkhtf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Polk County Housing Trust Fund