Shelter House Community Shelter And Transition Services

TO PROVIDE SAFE SHELTER AND HELP PEOPLE IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THEIR LIVES AS THEY MOVE BEYOND HOMELESSNESS.

EMERGENCY SERVICES: SHELTER HOUSE PROVIDES EMERGENCY SHELTER FOR SINGLE ADULTS AND FAMILIES EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN JOHNSON COUNTY AND IS THE DESIGNATED COORDINATED ENTRY LEAD FOR JOHNSON AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES IN IOWA. THROUGH COORDINATED ENTRY, PEOPLE EXPERIENCING A HOUSING CRISIS IN THE SERVICE REGION ARE QUICKLY IDENTIFIED, ASSESSED FOR, REFERRED, AND CONNECTED TO HOUSING ASSISTANCE BASED ON THEIR STRENGTHS AND NEEDS (OVER 850 PERSONS REFERRED TO HOUSING INTERVENTIONS). SHELTER HOUSE MANAGES A 70-BED EMERGENCY SHELTER COMPRISED OF MEN AND WOMEN'S DORMITORIES FOR SINGLE ADULTS AND A FAMILY WING OF SIX FAMILY BEDROOMS. EMERGENCY SHELTER CAPACITY IS INCREASED EACH WINTER WITH OVERFLOW SPACES MADE AVAILABLE IN THE SHELTER LOBBY AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH JOHNSON COUNTY THROUGH THE USE OF A DESIGNATED SATELLITE LOCATION. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS COMBINED NIGHTLY SHELTER CAPACITY IS INCREASED BY AN ADDITIONAL 60 BEDS. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS COMBINED 691 INDIVIDUALS WERE SHELTERED, 14% CHILDREN, FOR 21,794 NIGHTS OF SHELTER.BREAKFAST AND DINNER ARE OFFERED DAILY FOR CURRENT GUESTS OF SHELTER HOUSE'S EMERGENCY SHELTER. HEALTH SERVICES ARE OFFERED ONSITE TO GUESTS BY SKILLED VOLUNTEERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COLLEGE OF NURSING AND UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITALS AND CLINICS DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY ON A WEEKLY AND BI-WEEKLY BASIS. DROP-IN SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE DAILY AND INCLUDE ACCESS TO SHOWERS, LAUNDRY, CLOTHING AND TOILETRIES, PHONES, AND SERVICE NAVIGATION. ALL SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC IN NEED (150 PEOPLE SERVED).IN THE SPRING OF 2021, SHELTER HOUSE WORKED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF IOWA CITY TO LAUNCH STREET OUTREACH SERVICES. THROUGH STREET OUTREACH, AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND STAKEHOLDERS, PEOPLE LIVING IN UNSHELTERED LOCATIONS, SUCH AS IN CARS, PARKS, ABANDONED BUILDINGS, ENCAMPMENTS, AND ON THE STREETS ARE ENGAGED TO ENSURE BASIC NEEDS ARE MET (WATER, FOOD, AND SUPPLIES) WHILE OFFERING SUPPORT TOWARD HOUSING STABILITY AND OTHER SERVICES AS NEEDED AND DESIRED. HUNDREDS OF OUTREACH CONTACTS WERE MADE IN THE PAST YEAR RESULTING IN 69 INDIVIDUALS, WHO HAD BEEN LIVING ON THE STREETS, IN PARKING RAMPS, AND ENCAMPMENTS, MOVING IN TO PERMANENT HOUSING.

HOUSING SERVICES: SHELTER HOUSE OFFERS COMPREHENSIVE HOUSING SERVICES TAILORED TO MEET INDIVIDUAL CLIENT NEEDS. SHELTER HOUSE RAPID REHOUSING SERVICES INTENDS TO MINIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF TIME AN INDIVIDUAL OR FAMILY SPENDS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND RAPIDLY HELPS THEM STABILIZE IN THEIR OWN HOUSING. SHELTER HOUSE EXECUTES EACH OF THE THREE CORE COMPONENTS OF RAPID REHOUSING UTILIZING A PROGRESSIVE ENGAGEMENT APPROACH: (1) HOUSING IDENTIFICATION, (2) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE (SECURITY DEPOSIT, MOVE-IN ASSISTANCE AND RENT ASSISTANCE FOR THREE TO SIX MONTHS), AND (3) HOUSING STABILITY CASE MANAGEMENT THROUGH WHICH PEOPLE ARE CONNECTED TO JOBS, SERVICES AND THE SUPPORT NEEDED TO SUCCESSFULLY MAINTAIN THEIR HOUSING. STABILITY SERVICES CONTINUE FOR UP TO SIX MONTHS AFTER RENT ASSISTANCE ENDS TO ENSURE A SUSTAINED HOUSING PLACEMENT. THERE WERE 410 INDIVIDUALS SERVED THROUGH THE RAPID REHOUSING WITH 93% ACHIEVING PERMANENT HOUSING. FOR VETERANS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, SHELTER HOUSE PROVIDES BRIDGE HOUSING SERVICES IN COMBINATION WITH THE FULL RANGE OF SUPPORT MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH ALL OTHER PROGRAMS INCLUDING NAVIGATION AND SUPPORT TO SECURE HEALTH CARE AND BENEFITS, EMPLOYMENT, AND HOUSING. 10% OF ADULTS SERVED IN THE LAST YEAR WERE VETERANS.EVICTION PREVENTION AND DIVERSION SERVICES CONTINUED TO GROW IN 2021. SHELTER HOUSE LEVERAGED STATE AND LOCAL PUBLIC FUNDS TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY RENT AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE FOR HUNDREDS OF HOUSEHOLDS TO ENSURE HOUSING RETENTION AND PREVENT ENTRY INTO THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM. IN ADDITION TO FINANCIAL SUPPORT (RENTAL AND UTILITY ARREARS PAYMENTS MADE DIRECTLY TO LANDLORDS AND UTILITY COMPANIES TO PREVENT EVICTIONS AND UTILITY DISCONNECTIONS), SHELTER HOUSE STAFF PROVIDED OUTREACH TO LANDLORDS AND TENANTS FACING EVICTION PROVIDING LANDLORD/TENANT MEDIATION, ADVOCACY, AND TENANT EDUCATION. 416 INDIVIDUALS WERE ASSISTED THROUGH EVICTION PREVENTION AND DIVERSION EFFORTS AND SUCCESSFULLY MAINTAINED THEIR HOUSING.SHELTER HOUSE OFFERS PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WHICH COMBINES PERMANENT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING (TENANTS HAVE THE LEGAL RIGHT TO REMAIN IN THE UNIT AS LONG AS THEY WISH, AS DEFINED BY THE TERMS OF A RENEWABLE LEASE AGREEMENT AND PAY NO MORE THAN 30% OF INCOME FOR HOUSING) WITH FLEXIBLE, VOLUNTARY SUPPORT SERVICES DESIGNED TO HELP TENANTS STAY HOUSED AND ADDRESS HEALTH ISSUES WHILE BUILDING THE NECESSARY SKILLS TO LIVE AS INDEPENDENTLY AS POSSIBLE. PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IS AN EVIDENCE-BASED HOUSING INTERVENTION PRIORITIZED FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH COMPLEX HEALTH AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES (HIGHER NEEDS THAN THOSE TYPICALLY RESOLVED THROUGH RAPID REHOUSING AND HAS BEEN PROVEN TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE RETURNS TO JAIL AND HOMELESSNESS AND RELIANCE ON EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICES, WHILE IMPROVING OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE.PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IS PROVIDED THROUGH SCATTERED SITE (FAIRWEATHER LODGE AND MAINSTREAM VOUCHERS) AND SINGLE SITE (CROSS PARK PLACE) APPROACHES. THE FAIRWEATHER LODGE IS A RECOVERY FOCUSED, PEER DRIVEN PROGRAM FOR ADULTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND DIAGNOSED WITH A SERIOUS PERSISTENT MENTAL ILLNESS. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ARE EMBEDDED AND SUPPORTED BY BOTH THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM AND UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITALS AND CLINICS DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY. THE MODEL IS PREDICATED ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK TOGETHER, AND HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONTROL OVER THEIR LIVES, CAN OVERCOME HOMELESSNESS AND RECOVER FROM THEIR MENTAL ILLNESSES. MAINSTREAM VOUCHERS WERE UTILIZED IN 2021 TO EXPAND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR BOTH FAMILIES AND SINGLE ADULTS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE IOWA CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY AND LOCAL LANDLORDS.CROSS PARK PLACE OFFERS 24 ONE-BEDROOM APARTMENTS WITH ON-SITE PSYCHIATRIC (UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITALS AND CLINICS DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY) AND PRIMARY HEALTH CARE (UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COLLEGE OF NURSING) SERVICES AVAILABLE WEEKLY AND INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES AVAILABLE DAILY. THE BUILDING IS STAFFED 24/7. HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES ARE EXCLUSIVELY TARGETED FOR CHRONICALLY HOMELESS ADULTS, WHO CATEGORICALLY HAVE A DISABLING CONDITION, AND FREQUENTLY DEMONSTRATE HIGH CROSS-SYSTEM SERVICE UTILIZATION. 120 UNIQUE TENANTS AND CLIENTS WERE ASSISTED UNDER ALL PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING INTERVENTIONS COMBINED.

SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT: EMPLOYMENT IS A CORE COMPONENT OF THE FAIRWEATHER LODGE PROGRAM AND IS OFFERED TO ALL TENANTS IN OUR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING THROUGH FRESH STARTS JANITORIAL SERVICES (A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE PROVIDING CONTRACT-BASED RELIABLE, PROFESSIONAL JANITORIAL SERVICES FOR AREA BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS). SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT IS PREDICATED ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT EMPLOYMENT IS BOTH AN OUTCOME AND A CORE COMPONENT OF RECOVERY AND ENSURES ALL PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WORK ARE OFFERED WORK. SERVICES ARE INTEGRATED WITH COMPREHENSIVE MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT, PERSONALIZED BENEFITS COUNSELING IS PROVIDED TO EVERY CLIENT, AND CLIENTS RECEIVE JOB SUPPORTS FOR AS LONG AS REQUIRED. 40 CLIENTS WERE EMPLOYED THROUGH FRESH STARTS DURING THE YEAR.