AHEPA 192 Senior Apartments

Independent living is the focus at AHEPA 192 Senior Apartments, a newer 90-apartment community at 6705 SE 5th Street in Des Moines, Iowa, built on the site of the former Southridge Mall. The property operates under the HUD Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program, serving very low income seniors age 62 and older, with rent based on income rather than a fixed market rate.

Apartments are 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom, ranging from roughly 626 to 672 square feet, each with its own heating and cooling controls on a simple, large-screen thermostat. The building includes a community room with cable TV, a community kitchen and sitting rooms on every floor, giving residents shared space beyond their own apartment. Personal care, medication help and nursing services are not part of this housing program.

Residents here manage their own daily routine, from meals to housekeeping to getting around, since Section 202 is a housing benefit rather than a caregiving service. AHEPA Senior Living, the nonprofit operator, runs the community and, like its other properties, has put resources toward causes such as veteran support and senior nutrition programs since 1996. Eligibility generally requires being 62 or older and meeting an income limit HUD sets for the area.

Because the community is newer, families should ask directly about current openings and the waiting list rather than assume availability. Des Moines households can also compare other senior living in Des Moines before deciding on an income-restricted apartment.