Joppa Village

Help lift 50 homeless individuals off our streets

Provide permanent housing in a safe, supportive environment

Joppa is pleased to announce that on October 20th, 2025, we have received overwhelming approval from the City of Des Moines for the Joppa Village at 2501 Maury Street. The Joppa Village will be a community of unconditional love and support for chronically homeless individuals and help them rediscover hope, so they can once again become productive citizens and live a life of meaning. 

“We are grateful for the Des Moines City Council and City staff’s support of the Joppa Village project to help address homelessness in our community,” says Joe Stevens, Joppa CEO and Cofounder. “This approval allows us to provide permanent supportive housing to individuals who would otherwise be chronically homeless. Addressing such a complex issue requires collaboration, and we are excited to work alongside the City and other community partners to deliver one of many needed solutions.” 

Our journey to establish the Joppa Village in Des Moines began twelve years ago. While project details have evolved over time, the goal has remained the same – to create a safe place for individuals to live, work, recover and rediscover their value and purpose. After purchasing the previously proposed location on County Line Road in 2024, and seemingly reaching an impasse, City leaders asked Joppa to consider this alternative location on Maury Street. 

“Improving lives for people experiencing homelessness in our community is an effort that requires collaboration from partners who are invested in finding solutions,” says Joe Gatto, Des Moines city council member. “People living in our community deserve safety and shelter, and projects like the Joppa Village will help our residents experiencing homelessness start on the path to a better future.”

“Every dollar raised to purchase the previously proposed County Line Road property will be fully reinvested into this new site,” says Jim Hagberg, Joppa Village Project Director and Joppa Board Member. “This support from the City of Des Moines is essential for the Village and its residents to be successful, and we are eager to move forward.”

Joppa is an official replicator of Community First! Village in Austin, Texas, which is being emulated nation-wide and is a proven model for providing permanent homes for chronically homeless individuals and a highly successful village neighborhood.  This vibrant community in Austin, Texas, is home to nearly 400 formerly homeless individuals. See this overview video on YouTube. Privately funded through Joppa’s generous donors and partners, the Village will cost taxpayers nothing and is projected to save the City nearly $3 million each year with its first 50 residents.

About Joppa Village

The Joppa Village will provide permanent homes to 50 men and women who would otherwise be chronically homeless. The Village will offer supportive services, work opportunities, and access to public transportation for off-site employment opportunities. Residents will pay $300 to $700/month based on which Cottage Home they choose, with sizes ranging from 192 to 384 square feet. All Joppa Cottage Homes will have a bedroom, full bathrooms and kitchenettes.

Our development team includes BSB Design, Simonson & Associates, Snyder & Associates, and others. It is being led by Joppa board member Jim Hagberg, CEO of Blackstone Industrial Services, along with Vernon Delpesce, who oversaw the development of the thriving YMCA supportive housing campus. Tim Urban has been working closely with the team to develop a Master Plan for the property.

DART helped develop the Joppa Village DART Transportation Plan, and Broadlawns Medical Center and Free Clinics of Iowa are working to help plan an on-site medical clinic. The Village is truly a collaborative project with the widespread support of over 100 partners in central Iowa!

Join us and make a gift today to help make this project a reality.

>> GIVE HERE <<