$3.6 million goes towards programs for the homeless in Iowa.
By Madison Purvis
Through a combination of state and federal funding, $3.6 million will go to 49 different agencies across Iowa to assist with homelessness.
The state funding is through the Shelter Assistance Fund program and makes up $1 million of the grant. Federal funding makes up the other $2.6 million and is through the Emergency Solutions Grant program. The money will begin to be used in the 2018 calendar year.
The Shelter Assistance Fund program will be used to help domestic-violence and homeless shelters pay for their operations. The fund will be split among 25 agencies across the state.
The Emergency Solutions Grant program is used to help families in Iowa who have experienced homelessness or housing problems. Some of the services made possible through this program encompass rental, financial assistance, support services, case management, and emergency shelter.
This program gave funding to the different agencies and was distributed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and by the Iowa Finance Authority.
RELATED: Former Hawkeye offers new approach to homelessness
Johnson County received two awards from the grant, one going to the Shelter House for $174,638 and one to the Domestic Violence Intervention Program for $134,625. Both of these were funded by the Emergency Solutions Grant program.
Ashley Jared, the communications director with the Iowa Finance Authority, said that there is “definitely a process” with deciding who receives the awards and that it is “very competitive for both programs.”
“Iowa Finance Authority relies on partnerships,” she said. “The shelters take the money and put it to use.”
Kristie Fortmann-Doser, the executive director of the Iowa City DVIP, said the funding it receives will be used for many things.
Part of the money will go toward the operation of the emergency shelter. That includes necessities such as lights, water, and gas, and the funding helps keep the doors to the shelter open.
Fortmann-Doser said the money also goes towards rapid rehousing. That includes helping those in crisis “establish an independence,” she said. The money is also used to provide staff for counseling and other assistance to those in need.
RELATED: Iowa City works on homelessness
“This funding will probably help about 75 families, equating to 175-200 people through rapid rehousing,” Fortmann-Doser said. It is estimated that they will receive $800 to $2,000 in direct aid.
She also said the funding can help people who do have jobs. For example, the money could go to something like car repairs if it is needed in order to keep the family or person from not being able to pay their rent and utilities, which could put them in jeopardy of being homeless.
“Part of the [Iowa Finance Authority] mission here is to help provide for Iowans when they are in a crisis situation or are in need of some help to stabilize the lives of their families,” said Dave Jamison, the executive director of the Iowa Finance Authority.
Jamison said that while the Iowa Finance Authority is not the “hands on,” it helps locate the agencies for these programs.
“The agencies know how to do this, and they know what is going in the community,” he said. “They are very skilled at finding the root cause of the crisis.”
