DES MOINES, Iowa —

Des Moines officials approved a 20-year lease-purchase agreement with homeless services nonprofit Joppa for the old Chesterfield Community Center in the 2500 block of Maury.

Joppa plans to buy the property in five years.

The site is slated to become a tiny home village serving people emerging from homelessness.

“Oh my gosh … we are just so excited,” said Joe Stevens, CEO and co-founder of Joppa, which works to help homeless people find housing and rebuild their lives.

Stevens said the nonprofit received unexpected good news Tuesday that allows the project to expand.

“It was just announced we are going to be able to acquire some of the WRA property,” Stevens said. “So we are going to be able to go quite a ways further. So we have to redo the site plan.”

Plans call

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