Advocate
Federal Advocacy
*ACTION ALERTS*
Often times, legislative action occurs with little to no warning and requires mobilization of advocates to contact their respective legislators. Complete the form below to be added to the Action Alert newsletter.
Who are my state legislators?
Often times, it can be difficult to track who is your local State Senator and Representative. That information can be found at www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find
Who are my federal legislators?
To find your federal representative and senators, input your address at www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
State Advocacy
Legislative Priority: Eviction Expungement
Homeward continues to advocate for eviction expungement . Currently, Iowa has no process to seal an eviction even if the eviction was resolved prior to going to court or if the eviction was made in error. Work still continues and HSB261 and SSB 1204 still remain after funnel. Amendments will be needed to each of these bills to effectively create eviction expungement.
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Eviction Expungement talking points can be found HERE.
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A fact sheet to understanding homelessness in Iowa can be found HERE.
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A fact sheet to understand how Iowa data compares to surrounding states, can be found HERE.
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A fact sheet published by Iowa Legal Aid related to 2023 and January 2024 eviction filings in Iowa can be found HERE.
For more on eviction record sealing and expungement, please see the National Low Income Housing Coalition's toolkit on Eviction Record Sealing and Expungement.
Iowa Homeless Coalition
Throughout 2024, several providers across the state came together to form the Iowa Homeless Coalition. This coalition of providers across the state is committed to addressing homelessness and housing issues. Our mission includes:
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Advocating for housing and homelessness policy at the state level.
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Raising public awareness about homelessness and housing instability.
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Enhancing communication among housing and homeless service providers.
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Offering relevant training for member agencies.
Current Board members include Ben Brustkern, Julie Eberbach, Angie Arthur, Heather Harney, Brandy Waller, J’nae Peterman, Crissy Canganelli, and Courtney Guntly.
If you would like to learn more about how your agency can join the Iowa Homeless Coalition, please contact Courtney Guntly or any of the board members listed above.
Advocates speak out against criminalizing homelessness. Over 430 public comments were logged against the 2025 bills. Social media posts were shared over 170 times and hundreds of individuals against criminalizing homelessness showed up at the virtual meeting while over others braved a blizzard to pack the rooms in person to testify against this harmful legislation. Thank you for showing up for our unsheltered neighbors!