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Polk County Housing Trust Fund shows regional affordable-housing dashboard; Windsor Heights staff discuss preservation options
Summary
Polk County Housing Trust Fund staff demonstrated a regional housing dashboard that maps federally-backed projects, cost-burdened households, and a proposed 10% regional affordable-unit goal; council discussed local data limitations, preservation tools and potential partnerships with faith-based landowners and the Trust Fund.
Toby O'Barry, executive director of the Polk County Housing Trust Fund, and a colleague (Johnny) presented a new regional affordable-housing dashboard (pchtf.org/dashboard) intended as a tool for elected officials and staff. The dashboard aggregates federal and local data (Census, HUD, CBRE) to show units in production, federally-backed projects, and cost-burden statistics.
O'Barry said the Trust Fund set a regional "affordable unit" conversation starter target of 10% of projected household growth over the next planning horizon; staff emphasized that Windsor Heights is land-constrained and that the dashboard currently lists projects with 25 units or more, which undercounts the city's single-family and duplex housing stock. The CHAS tabulations included on the dashboard indicate a shortage of units affordable to households at 30% AMI or less in Windsor Heights (the Trust Fund noted about 10 federally backed units versus 35 households at 30% AMI in the tabulation).
Councilmembers asked how to participate in preservation and renovation funding rounds and whether local programs could be tailored to small cities; staff explained the Trust Fund's application platform (Neighborly), described preservation funding that can lock units into affordability periods, and suggested outreach to local landlords and faith-based landowners who might hold underutilized land suitable for missing-middle projects.
The Trust Fund said the dashboard will evolve to include more local incentives and that a spring 2027 update is planned. Councilmembers asked the Trust Fund to return with recommended local policy options and program guidance tailored to Windsor Heights.
No council action was required; the presentation served as information and a request for future collaboration.
