The Polk County Housing Trust Fund has opened applications for the new Work That Impacts Housing Program, a four-month paid pre-apprenticeship initiative aimed at addressing workforce development and housing preservation needs. Open to adults 18 and older with a high school diploma or equivalent, the program combines five weeks of residential construction training, with a subsequent three-month commercial phase in either carpentry or electrical work through Local 106 Carpentry Union or IBEW Local 347. In partnership with the city of Des Moines, participants will earn the TradesFuture Multi-Craft Core Curriculum certification and gain hands-on experience by assisting with interior single-family home repairs for low- and moderate-income residents through the city’s Improving Our Neighborhoods program. Six participants will be selected for the inaugural cohort. Applications are accepted through May 19.