CEDAR RAPIDS – The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) recently honored exceptional housing initiatives and leaders through the annual HousingIowa Awards, presented at the 2025 HousingIowa Conference in Cedar Rapids. These awards recognize programs, projects and professionals who are setting the standard for innovation and leadership in advancing housing opportunities for Iowans.
Award categories include Single-Family Development, Multifamily Development, Innovation, Special Needs Development, the Mark Sertterh Friend of Housing Award and the Kay Anderson Friend of Iowa Award. Each year, nominations are accepted statewide and judged by an independent panel.
2025 HousingIowa Award Winners
Single-Family Development
Homes for Iowa, Newton
Homes for Iowa, Inc. is a nonprofit tackling Iowa’s housing shortage through a scalable model that combines home construction, workforce development and community revitalization. Stick-built homes are constructed at the Newton Correctional Facility and distributed across Iowa, with a focus on rural and underserved communities.
Multifamily Development
EHDG New Horizons, Newbury Living, Davenport
This scattered-site rehabilitation project revived 21 deteriorated properties, including 12 duplexes, five single-family homes, two row houses and two small apartment buildings. Ecumenical Housing Development Group and Newbury Living transformed them into safe, modern homes, offering a replicable alternative to large-scale, centralized affordable housing.
Innovation Award
Junction Lofts, Cutler Development, West Des Moines
Iowa’s first mass timber housing project, this 11-unit mixed-use development by Scott and Molly Cutler reduces the building’s carbon footprint while providing both residential and commercial space.
Special Needs Development
The Beacon Village, Des Moines
The Beacon Village, a former motel, now offers 32 efficiency apartments, a community room, and support services for women in crisis. Women sign 12-month leases to practice independent living while receiving staff and peer support. Graduates leave with stable housing, income, health coverage, financial skills, savings and three years of ongoing support.
Mark Sertterh Friend of Housing Award
Dr. Emily Morse, University of Iowa Healthcare, Iowa City
The Mark Sertterh Friend of Housing Award is a special honor recognizing those on the front lines of assisting Iowans with housing. This year’s recipient, Dr. Emily Morse, has pioneered psychiatric care embedded within Permanent Supportive Housing. Since 2019, she has operated a weekly psychiatric clinic at Shelter House’s Cross Park Place in Iowa City, ensuring critical care reaches individuals experiencing homelessness.
Kay Anderson Friend of Iowa Award
Debbie Fisher, Newbury Living, Des Moines
The Kay Anderson Friend of Iowa Award, one of the HousingIowa Conference’s most prestigious honors, recognizes individuals whose lifetime of service has profoundly advanced housing opportunities. This year’s recipient, Debbie Fisher, devoted 48 years to Levy, Malone & Company and later Newbury Living, contributing to more than 80 affordable housing projects that reshaped communities across Iowa. For 22 years, she led Newbury’s property management division, mentoring staff and ensuring that Iowa’s most vulnerable residents were treated with dignity and care.
Photos of award-winning projects and individuals are available on the Iowa Finance Authority’s Facebook page.
1963 Bell Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50315