Three homes are now part of the Central Iowa Community Land Trust, a partnership between the city of Des Moines, InvestDSM and Home Inc. to ensure housing remains affordable as property values increase.

One of the homes, located in the Oak Park/Highland Park neighborhood has been purchased. Two others in the Columbus Park neighborhood are available to purchase.

“We’re building an opportunity for not only the first families coming in here, but future families to have an affordable home that they can purchase and call their own,” Jaqueline Chico, the land trust’s program manager, said in a video about the program.

The land trust was launched in 2025 as a way to provide long-term affordable housing in Central Iowa. The trust buys existing homes or builds new ones using one-time private or public monies. The trust sells just the house to a homebuyer who qualifies for a mortgage. The trust owns the land, which helps keep the price of the property affordable.

When the homeowner wants to move, only the house will be sold to another qualified buyer. The home seller will be able to get a predetermined amount of equity out of the sale.

The goal of the Central Iowa Community Land Trust is to have 100 properties in the trust by its fifth year, Chico said.