Advocate
Talk to your local and national elected officials about the need for increased affordable housing and homelessness resources. Discuss the need to listen to community voices and reduce barriers to housing and supportive services.
*ACTION ALERTS*
Legislative Priority: Eviction Expungement
Homeward will be advocating for the introduction of legislation to address eviction expungement . In 2024, this legislation had significant support from entities including Conlin Properties, ACLU-Iowa, United Way of Central Iowa, Iowa State Bar Association, The Family Leader Foundation, Iowa Community Action Association, Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Polk County Board of Supervisors, Common Good Iowa, City of Des Moines, Iowa ACES 360, Iowa Housing Partnership, Iowa Catholic Conference, Soaring Hearts, and the Iowa Organization for Victim Assistance.
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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.
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For more on eviction record sealing and expungement, please see the National Low Income Housing Coalition's toolkit on Eviction Record Sealing and Expungement.
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 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
Day on the Hill: (Postponed)
To register, click here.
This year, advocates planned to partner with the Iowa Housing Partnership to hold a Day on the Hill. While that event was postponed due to the untimely passing of Representative Martin Graber, we encourage individuals to lift up the need for eviction expungement and to fight back against the criminalization of homelessness. Join the Iowa Homeless Coalition and advocate to prevent and end homelessness in our state.
Despite passing the House three times, eviction expungement was not introduced by the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2024, taking us back to the beginning for 2025. Meanwhile, businesses struggle to find housing for their workers who fit the description of ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). Businesses and housing and homeless advocates share a similar goal: we need affordable housing to meet the needs of Iowans.
In 2024, Criminalization of homelessness also hits Iowa.
February 13, 2024...The Senate Study Bill 3175 was introduced for consideration by the Senate Local Government committee. This legislation, while temporarily pulled, criminalizes homelessness while diverting funding from effective program approaches to funding of required encampments. Cities could also be financially punished for not arresting individuals experiencing homelessness. This specific legislation is backed by the Cicero Institute. For talking points on how to respond to legislation criminalizing homelessness, please see the Housing not Handcuffs talking points HERE.
In October 2024, the City of Des Moines City Council, on a vote of 5-2, passed two city ordinances that also criminalize homelessness. While limited services accompany these ordinances, they still do not address the fundamental challenge of homelessness, which is a lack of affordable, quality housing.
We encourage advocates to speak to their city council about evidence-based practices to address the lack of affordable housing specifically for those who have a disability, live on a fixed income, or are employed and fit into the definition of ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). To find out more about ALICE, please visit https://www.unitedforalice.org/state-overview/Iowa
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.
One Iowa Action updates a legislative tracker every Friday during session to keep individuals informed about what is happening in the legislative realm.
How is homelessness connected to LGBTQ+ status?
It's important to note that according to a 2020 UCLA study, 8% of transgendered adults experience homelessness as compared to 3% of cisgendered straight adults. Moreover, 17% of sexual minority adults experience homelessness as compared to 6% of cisgender straight people. (https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/lgbt-homelessness-us/)