Des Moines ION program: $9.1 million, 411 homes repaired since 2022, staff say

Maylene “Molly” (resident) said her grandparents built the house and that it held family memories, but years of water damage had left the foundation and plumbing in dangerous condition. An ION program inspector described rebuilding the foundation, replacing leaking cast-iron plumbing and installing a new electrical panel and rewire.

The repairs were part of the city’s ION home-repair program. An ION program staff member said the program has helped “approximately 411 households in the 3 years that we’ve been around” and that contractors and partners have completed about $9.1 million in repairs, with roughly $7.7 million from ION funds and $1.4 million contributed by partner organizations.

Why it matters: Des Moines officials and program staff say the city’s older housing stock makes the program a priority for public-safety and housing-stability reasons. In Molly’s case, staff found brick foundation walls buckled by freeze-thaw cycles, a damaged main plumbing stack that had been jury-rigged around collapsing walls, and an electrical panel that was not up to code—problems that required structural rebuilding and system replacements.

“Her foundation was very poor shape, probably years of water damage,” an ION program inspector said. “Whenever you just have too much water in the ground with the freeze thaw cycles, it just busts those old brick foundation walls.” The inspector said workers had to rebuild the foundation and straighten the main plumbing stack “to code,” and that portions of the plumbing had been leaking sewer gas into the house and were replaced.

Because the electrical panel had to be removed for foundation repairs, the inspector said the work “necessitated that we had to do an electrical panel and a full rewire of the house as well.” The program referred some work to nonprofit partners: the inspector said Habitat for Humanity’s Don Burton “was able to help out with some additional plumbing repairs,” move a washer and dryer upstairs and install new vinyl windows and central air.

Molly described the outcome as life-changing. “This house wouldn’t have lasted without the work they have done. It literally would have fallen in, you know? And now it’s like fresh new and well preserved,” she said.

Program staff characterized the ION effort as locally funded and collaborative. “We’re actually the first in the U.S. to do this type of program specifically,” an ION program staff member said, adding that using local taxpayer dollars for repairs avoids some federal red tape. The staff member said the program tries to coordinate with nonprofit partners to stretch resources.

The program’s staff-provided totals and partner roles were described during the conversation and are summarized here as reported: about 411 households assisted since early 2022; about $9.1 million in total repairs, with approximately $7.7 million from ION funds and about $1.4 million from partner organizations. The transcript did not include a last name for the resident Molly, a formal program ordinance number, or an implementation timetable for future projects.