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Urbandale applies for IFA ‘Thriving Communities’ designation to boost housing project competitiveness
Summary
Urbandale submitted an application to the Iowa Finance Authority’s Thriving Communities program to earn application points that can help local housing projects secure state funding; staff said the city assembled roughly $6 million in recent and planned financial commitments and identified two targeted redevelopment sites downtown.
The Urbandale City Council authorized submission of an application to the Iowa Finance Authority’s Thriving Communities program on May 5, a designation the city says will give developers extra points when seeking several IFA funding sources.
Assistant City Manager Curtis Brown told the council the designation helps demonstrate to IFA that Urbandale is a reliable steward of investment and that points awarded to a designated community can improve the competitiveness of applications for programs such as low‑income housing tax credits and the state workforce housing tax credit.
Brown said city staff documented roughly $6 million in recent and forthcoming financial commitments — across the current and adjacent fiscal years — that support housing and redevelopment. The application lists targeted locations where developers would be eligible for bonus points, including a Douglas Avenue multifamily area (roughly between 106th and 109th streets, specifically 10841 Douglas) and a downtown site at the southeast corner of 70th Street and First Avenue (the Kading property) and nearby Stanbro parcels.
The city’s application also highlights partnerships with regional bodies and nonprofits, such as the Polk County Housing Trust Fund, the Dallas County Local Housing Trust Fund, the Mid Iowa Planning Alliance and local organizations that support housing access. Brown said Urbandale will submit the application by the May 12 deadline, expects a preliminary decision this summer and a final announcement in the fall; designated communities would make the extra points available to developers in calendar year 2026.
Council members asked about letters of support and staff said existing county resolutions are referenced and that staff could seek specific Polk County letters if time permits. The council approved the motion to submit the application and to name the mayor and the assistant city manager as official contacts for the program.
