Encyclopedia Dubuque
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
HOMELESS
HOMELESS. As a result of the PANDEMIC, a moratorium on evictions due to nonpayment was issued by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in September 2020. It was set to expire on July 31, 2021. With this in mind, the City of Dubuque Housing and Community Development Director, Alexis Steger, warned that hundreds of city residents could face homelessness. She recommended that the city council direct funds to Community Solutions of Eastern Iowa to continue its expanded rapid housing program. This recommendation was accepted in July and $163,000 in state money was provided.
The Community Solutions program served area residents who were homeless and living outside, in a shelter, or at a campground. Homeless people could receive short-term assistance for renting a unit for up to 24 months. The rent had to be reasonable but also meet habitability standards.
The $163,000 comes from $521,000 received by the city in Community Development Block Grants from the state's allotment of federal CARES Act funding. The funding approved by the council allowed the expanded services to continue through the 2023 calendar year. (1)
In September, 2022 homeless shelters and related services reported surging demand outpacing available resources with expectations that the situation would worsen in the coming year. Among the causes was mental health issues, rising house of housing, and the 'system shock' of the pandemic to homeless services locally and nationally.
OPENING DOORS, the emergency and extended-stay TERESA SHELTER, beginning in June, 2022 served 55 to 60 people per month. The facility hit its capacity for the first time in July. In 2020 and 2021, the shelter recorded totals of less than 6,000 bednights per year. By the end of August, 2022 the yearly total had nearly reached 6,805. (2) ALMOST HOME, a former men's shelter, than reopened on September 26, 2022 as Dubuque's first shelter for men with children, had received 15 calls per week since it closed in the spring. Calls came from people planning for the winter. Inquiries came from across Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois. When it reopened, Almost Home was scheduled to take in two fathers with up to three children each. Plans were made to begin construction in October on space for another three families. In late September there were already fifteen candidates for space.
Common factors were found among those seeking shelter. Some individuals had an eviction or criminal conviction appear on a background check. Substance-use disorders led to people being denied housing by public housing authorities. A major factor was mental health. A huge increase in mental health issues occurred during the PANDEMIC. Mental health issues often led to falling behind in paying bills and/or rent. Lack of available housing had many causes. United States Census Bureau statistics for the Week of July 17, 2022 indicated that nearly 4.8 million Americans were behind in rent or mortgage payments. This, however, was an improvement from the 5.5 million found in February. Nationwide, 7.8 million renters had incomes below 50% of the area median and were living in inadequate housing paying more than half of their incomes for rent. The current shelter system would not be able to handle a surge in evictions.
Local agencies responded to increasing need. Almost Home's new shelter would be able to handle up to 20 people in families of four. The DUBUQUE RESCUE MISSION was scheduled to house another twenty people overnight in the site of the former DUBUQUE FOOD PANTRY during the winter months. Hawkeye Area Community Action Program, operating within Dubuque, Delaware, Jackson and Jones counties, showed interest in purchasing and rehabilitating local rehabilitating local housing for families in poverty.
On a national level, the Department of Housing and Urban Development set aside $54.5 million for area 'continuums' to fight rural homelessness wit such programs as motel vouchers. (3)
Use the "Search" feature to find the many entries dealing with this social issue.
SEE:
DUBUQUE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
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Source:
1. Fisher, Benjamin, "More Funding Approved for Rapid Rehousing Program," Telegraph Herald, July 23, 2021, p. 2A
2. Irvine, Joshua, "No Vacancy," Telegraph Herald , September 25, 2022, p. 1A
3. Ibid. p. 3
