Feeding Futures

Fighting food insecurity with innovative action. A story series sponsored by Principal® Foundation

Safe Housing, Stronger Futures

Housing stability and food security go hand in hand

Housing costs directly shape a family’s grocery budget. That’s because a safe, affordable home creates the financial breathing room families need to cover food, health care and other essentials.  

“At Habitat for Humanity, we contribute to the supply of affordable housing in two key ways,” says Danny Akright, director of communications for Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity.  

“One is by constructing new affordable homes. The other is through critical repairs and accessibility modifications that help maintain affordability for people who already own their homes.” 

As costs continue to rise, major repairs, like a roof replacement or new furnace, can push homeowners into crisis. In 2025, Habitat created 44 affordable homeownership opportunities and completed 200 critical home repairs — work that keeps families housed and neighborhoods stable. 

Affordable homes help put food on the table, according to Akright. “Housing and food are both essential needs that people must have in order to survive and thrive,” he says. “When someone is paying too much for rent, or when they are housing insecure, it affects their ability to purchase nutritious foods, medicine, education and transportation.” 

Affordable housing is one piece of a larger equation. Through partnerships like Iowa Stops Hunger, Habitat recognizes that when one basic need becomes unaffordable, every other part of a family’s budget feels the strain. 

“If one of those areas is putting too much of a financial burden on a family, then all of the other areas are affected,” Akright says. “We can’t have success in one without impacting the others — including food.” 

Learn more at www.gdmhabitat.org.