HUD PIH FY25 directory IA · Section 8 / HCV 3,702 HCV units Standard Performer bracket 99th percentile in IA

Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency, Section 8 / HCV PHA Profile

Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency administers federal Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance, IA, with 3,702 authorized HCV units (HUD Standard Performer size bracket). Contact details, payment-standard reference, and nearby PHAs to broaden your waitlist strategy.

Browse all IA PHAs

Reviewed by ·

How this PHA compares nearby

Authorized HCV units · Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency vs nearby IA agencies

units
Source HUD PIH authorized-unit directory As of FY2025

The verdict

Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency administers 3,702 authorized Housing Choice Vouchers - among the largest Section 8 agencies in the country, the largest in IA.

3,702
authorized Section 8 vouchers
96th
percentile by size, nationally
99th
percentile in IA
3,702 Section 8 units

Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency, based in IA, administers the federal Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program with 3,702 authorized Section 8 units (Standard Performer size bracket). Waitlist status changes without much notice, so confirm directly with the agency before applying.

  • 99th percentile by unit count in IA
  • HUD size bracket: Standard Performer
Compiled from official public sources by the Plainvoucher team.

Section 8 / HCV units

3,702

Standard Performer bracket

Total authorized units

410

All programs combined

State-rank percentile

99 th

Among IA PHAs

2-BR standard range · IA

$877–$1,261 /mo

Median $877/mo · 2-BR

Section 8 / HCV share of Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency authorized units 100.0%
HUD nationwide median

Compared to nationwide HUD median of 62%, PHAs with high HCV share typically focus on tenant-based assistance over project-based public housing.

Where Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency sits among U.S. PHAs

By authorized Housing Choice Vouchers, across every PHA that runs them. Most are small; a handful of big-city authorities run the long right tail.

3,702 Top 7% higher than 93% of 2,129 voucher-running PHAs

0–10,000: 2,086 voucher-running PHAs (98%). This entry sits in this band. 10,000–20,000: 29 voucher-running PHAs (1%). Above this entry. 20,000–30,000: 8 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 30,000–40,000: 1 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 40,000–50,000: 1 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 50,000–60,000: 3 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 60,000–70,000: 0 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 70,000–80,000: 0 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 80,000–90,000: 0 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 90,000–100,000: 0 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 100,000–110,000: 0 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 110,000–120,000: 0 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 120,000–130,000: 1 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. This PHA 0 130,000 every voucher-running PHA, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more voucher-running PHAs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source HUD PIH authorized-unit directory · FY2025

Inside HUD's Federal Record for Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency

Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency appears in HUD's Public and Indian Housing (PIH) Open Data set, one of 3,780 Public Housing Authorities nationwide running the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program alongside every other agency in IA. This agency's HUD authorization runs to 3,702 Section 8 / HCV units, out of 410 total authorized units when every HUD program is counted. Under HUD's PHAS scoring, this agency carries a "Standard Performer" designation, a bracket that affects how often it reports and how closely HUD oversees it.

HUD's directory categorizes it under the "Combined" program type, the classification that governs which voucher streams -- regular HCV, VASH, Family Unification, Mainstream, or project-based conversions -- it is eligible to run. Ranked by Section 8 unit count within IA, it sits at the 99th percentile there, ahead of 99% of IA PHAs by that measure. Every PHA in the directory runs its own waitlist, publishes its own admissions plan, and sets its own local preferences within the federal Section 8 rulebook, so this authorized-unit figure is a ceiling, not a promise of current availability.

its main line is 5153238950. Use the nearby-PHA list below to broaden your waitlist strategy across the state. Across IA's 92 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard runs $877-$1,261/month (median $877); Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency sets its own figure within 90-110% of HUD's Fair Market Rent for the specific area it serves, so confirm the exact number for your metro before signing anything.

Contact this PHA

Phone
5153238950
Fax
5152422844
Email
CMJohansen@dmgov.org
Executive Director
CMJohansen@dmgov.org · 5153238976
How to apply at Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency

How to apply at this PHA

Before applying, confirm whether this PHA's waitlist is currently open. Waitlist status can change without much notice, some PHAs open for as little as 72 hours at a time. Application channels typically include:

  • The PHA's own website (search "Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency Section 8 application")
  • A public notice posted at the PHA office or in the legal notices of the local newspaper
  • HUD-approved housing counseling agencies in the area
  • Local legal-aid and tenant-advocacy groups

See our step-by-step How to Apply for Section 8 guide for the full federal application process.

What to expect, typical waitlist

HUD does not publish current waitlist open/closed status centrally, and waitlist lengths vary sharply by local demand. In high-cost metros, waits can exceed 5–10 years and many waitlists are closed. In smaller cities and rural counties, waits of 6 months to 3 years are more typical. Some PHAs use a lottery rather than first-come-first-served. This site does not predict your individual wait time. Contact the PHA directly to confirm the current list status and whether local preferences apply to your household. Our waitlist strategy guide explains how to maximize your odds by applying to multiple PHAs.

Payment standard reference

Payment standards are set per HUD FMR area, not per agency. Across IA's 92 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard ranges $877–$1,261/month (median $877). Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency sets its own figure within 90–110% of HUD's Fair Market Rent for the specific area it serves.

Find your exact number: look up the 2-, 1-, and 3-bedroom payment standards for your metro with the payment-standard lookup tool, then confirm the current figure with the PHA before signing a lease. See our Payment Standards vs. FMR guide.

Nearby PHAs in IA

If this PHA's waitlist is closed, applying to additional PHAs in the same region is a recommended strategy. Other PHAs nearby:

Compare PHAs in IA side by side →

Source: HUD PIH Open Data (FY25). Last compiled April 2026. Payment-standard figures: Source: HUD USER Fair Market Rent FY2025. If any contact detail has changed, please email corrections@plainvoucher.com. See our methodology for how we compile and cross-reference this data.

⚠ Disclaimer. PlainVoucher is not affiliated with HUD or with Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency. Data here is compiled from HUD public sources for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for consulting the PHA directly about eligibility, waitlist status, or application procedures.

Read our methodology , how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Verify with HUD →