A new organization in Ames wants to revitalize neighborhoods near campus by assuring that homes in the area are bought by families and not converted into rental property.

Single family homes converted to rental property have had a negative impact on Ames neighborhoods, said Pat Brown, president of Housing for Sustainable Neighborhoods.

In order to combat that trend, she said, the group will work with sellers in university-impacted neighborhoods to find buyers who will live in the houses themselves and raise families there.

“We’re a dating service to help sellers find families to move into their houses,” Brown said.

The organization, which is the only program of its kind in the country, will focus mainly on the area just west of campus between West Street and Oakland Street and between State Avenue and Franklin Avenue, Brown said.

In addition to connecting buyers and sellers, the non-profit group will offer loans to buyers and, in some cases, buy properties to sell to families later, Brown said.

“A lot of people want to live in Ames, but have no money for a down payment or have bad credit,” Brown said.

Housing for Sustainable Neighborhoods would give those people a chance to own their own home.

The efforts of Housing for Sustainable Neighborhoods will not likely affect property managers in the area, but the idea of an organization designed to prevent rental growth is off-putting, said Joe Paulson, a landlord for several houses in the Ames area.

“I don’t think it’s fair to restrict landlords from buying houses,” Paulson said. “The people who buy property should be able to use it as they see fit.”

Turning homes into rental property has many negative effects, said Fern Kupfer, Housing for Sustainable Neighborhoods board member.

Property management companies buy up all the affordable housing in Ames to convert to rentals, she said, leaving only higher priced housing. This makes Ames one of the most expensive housing markets in Iowa.

“A lot of people who work at ISU, the secretaries, or the people who cut your hair — the working class people — can’t afford to live here,” said Kupfer, associate professor of English. “The goal is to offer more affordable housing and prevent older, modest family homes from becoming rentals.”

Renters generally do not take as good of care of property as owners do, Kupfer said, which leads to deterioration of neighborhoods.

Affordable family housing is also necessary so nearby schools can bolster enrollment, Brown said.

“We need children back in neighborhoods so the schools can receive more money from the state,” she said.

The sustainable neighborhoods program seeks a balance between family and student housing and is not an effort to drive college-aged residents from the area, Brown said.

“We will always have student apartments in the neighborhood, and we will always have a mix of people,” she said.

The organization has already received around $700,000 in unsolicited contributions and is currently “matchmaking” four homes, Brown said. So far, there has been no advertising for the organization except word of mouth. The group is currently designing a brochure and Web site to spread awareness of its services.

Last week, the Ames City Council allocated $25,000 to the program, and other grants may be forthcoming, Brown said.

Councilman Riad Mahayni said he supported the organization and the city’s decision to donate to it because of the need for affordable housing in Ames.