Housing is more than rooftops and floorplans. It is workforce strategy. It is downtown revitalization. It is quality of life. Across the Alliance four-county region, communities are confronting the same reality: growth depends on having places for people to live. This year’s Housing Impact Award, presented by the Ames Regional Economic Alliance, recipients represent a cross-section of solutions, large and small, urban and rural, new construction and adaptive reuse, all working toward the same goal of strengthening the region’s housing ecosystem.
In Nevada, multiple projects illustrate how layered that strategy must be. OakPark Estates is breathing new life into the former Oak Park Academy campus, blending history with modern need through townhomes, single-family homes, and preserved brick buildings converted to rentals. Just across town, NorthView is carving out 33 new single-family lots designed for entry-level buyers ready to plant roots. And Sierra Heights is scaling rental options in a community where thousands commute in daily for work, delivering 138 townhomes that support workforce retention and long-term economic competitiveness. Together, they demonstrate that no single product type solves a housing challenge.
Smaller communities are proving that impact is not defined by size. In Maxwell, Rock Creek Ridge marks the first new speculative housing development in more than two decades. Through collaboration between developers, builders, the city, and county partners, the project shows how even a handful of homes, supported by workforce housing tax credits and creative financing, can signal momentum and confidence.
That same spirit of reinvestment is visible in Jefferson. The Jeffersonian Middle School Housing Renovation Project is transforming a vacant 1921 school into 25 downtown apartments, leveraging historic and workforce housing tax credits alongside local support. Nearby infill projects by Origin Homes are delivering energy-efficient residences that fit seamlessly into established neighborhoods. One reimagines the past; the other builds for the future. Both reinforce that housing is central to community vitality.
In Boone, thoughtful neighborhood planning is shaping growth. Oak Park, a 53-lot custom home community adjacent to McHose Park, blends natural amenities with intentional design. Prairie Place adds townhomes and apartments near Highway 30, schools, and recreation, strengthening workforce housing options through public-private partnership. These developments underscore that location, connectivity, and collaboration matter as much as the homes themselves.
Meanwhile in Huxley, The Republic at Anthem represents the first residential phase of a larger mixed-use vision. As the city grows, modern market-rate apartments help retain residents locally while laying the groundwork for integrated, long-term development.
And in Ames, the Baker Subdivision is transforming a long-vacant school site into new single-family homes, including seven built by Habitat for Humanity of Central Iowa. The project demonstrates how community-driven housing can expand opportunity while revitalizing underutilized land.
Behind these projects stand strong partners and builders. Prairieland Homes, named Builder of the Year, has set a standard for quality and energy-efficient construction for more than five decades. Howell Investment Finance, led by Denny Howell, is recognized as Housing Partner of the Year for assembling complex financing packages that make transformative projects possible.
Together, this year’s award recipients tell a powerful story: housing is not a single project or policy. It is a regional commitment. And when communities align vision, investment, and partnership, they create more than homes, they build the foundation for sustained economic vitality.