Tanya Keith is an activist and small business owner in Des Moines.
We find ourselves at a pivotal point in history, and Indira Sheumaker is the right leader for this moment in every capacity.
As Des Moines looks to the future, we are poised to be a beacon for the possible, but we need the right leaders to bring us to the next level. In my work revitalizing homes in the urban core of Des Moines, I have become concerned with the direction of the current City Council’s “Blitz on Blight” campaign. What I thought would be funding and policy to support neighborhood revitalization has become a wrong-headed race to destroy our architectural history while traumatizing the people in marginalized neighborhoods.
When done properly, blighted houses can become a source for affordable house and good paying jobs. Ms. Sheumaker is the candidate who understands that potential.
Des Moines Roosevelt alumnus and preservation expert Bob Yapp of Belvedere School for Hands On Preservation teaches that historic renovation of existing structures average 73.3 percent percent of budget devoted to labor, while new construction only allow 40 percent of budget to labor. Not only is this a win for job creation, but renovating our existing housing stock in more environmentally sound, since the majority of materials are reused and of higher quality than new construction.
Based on Yapp’s history of over 160 construction projects, he has never exceeded $100 per square foot on a preservation project, whereas new construction costs over $150 per square foot. This is how preservation creates more jobs, is better for the environment, and is more likely to create the affordable housing Des Moines so desperately needs.
Our current board is considering spending $800,000 to identify houses that can be torn down to pursue a quick fix to blighted homes. Houses my business, Hat Trick Renovation, is currently renovating have been targeted by the city of Des Moines for demolition, just as my current residence was once targeted repeatedly for demolition. These are gorgeous, 120 to 140 year old structures—homes that could help Des Moines attract and retain workers who want to live close to downtown. Ms. Sheumaker understands that the easy way is not always the best way, and she is supportive of the time and work involved to restore our housing to benefit workers and neighborhoods.
Ms. Sheumaker has become a leader in the movement to reform how we police our neighborhoods. My own experience of policing in Des Moines radically changed when I moved from a predominantly white Des Moines neighborhood to my current multi-racial neighborhood. I have become frustrated by the lack of resources to help my neighborhood address the struggles created by mental health challenges and poverty. I believe that our current representative in Ward 1 has allowed his family ties in the Des Moines Police Department to blind him to the struggles we are facing as a community.
Ms. Sheumaker understands that public safety is a complex challenge, requiring more tools than are currently available. Her plans to restructure public safety and listen to residents via her proposed People’s Council is the responsiveness we have not been getting from our current board representative.
As an organizer and a Black activist, she is focused on the people of our city and will advocate from the perspective of a new generation of thinkers and doers. She has worked in Des Moines Parks and Recreaction and the Public Library of Des Moines. She was raised in Beaverdale and recently resided in River Bend, giving her a unique perspective on one of the city’s most diverse neighborhoods. I have seen her on my own front porch, engaging with my college-age daughter on what young people think about the future of our city.
When I moved to Iowa in 1992, I ended up staying because of the opportunities I discovered as a founding member of the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Young Professionals Connection. As I approach my 50th birthday, I am inspired by this next generation of leaders who are taking the reins of Des Moines’ forward progress. Indira Sheumaker is the advocate for this moment in our history, and I encourage you to vote for her on November 2.
Top photo of Tanya Keith (left) and Indira Sheumaker provided by the author and published with permission, along with this image. Both pictures were taken in front of a Hat Trick Renovation project in the River Bend neighborhood.
