Homelessness in Iowa Increasing

Homelessness in Iowa Increasing

According to research, our nonprofit partners, and low-income women and their families (particularly single mothers), one of the most persistent issues they face is the lack of safe and affordable housing – often leading to staying with relatives, living in their cars, or finding a bed in a local shelter.

A broad partnership of public, private, and nonprofit organizations – Homeward – works to coordinate homeless systems from all sectors to collectively determine strategies to address this critical need and identify gaps in services. Working with United Way of Central Iowa, Homeward released the following statistics:

-According to the January 2024 point in time count (an annual count of homeless persons in Polk County on one single day), 715 individuals in Polk County are experiencing homelessness, an 11% increase over last year. 

-Des Moines Public Schools reports that as of the last school year, 736 of their students were currently experiencing homelessness and unstable living situations. 

-According to Homeward, as of July 15, there were 133 families on the wait list to enter a family shelter.

Homelessness can stem from various factors, and it’s a complex issue*. According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (usich.gov), here are a few contributors, many faced by women::

  1. Housing Affordability: A lack of affordable housing options leaves low-income individuals without stable places to live.
  2. Health Issues: Health problems can lead to homelessness or worsen existing situations. Addressing health needs is crucial for those experiencing homelessness.
  3. Domestic Violence: Survivors of domestic violence may become homeless when leaving abusive relationships.
  4. Racial Disparities: Minority groups in the U.S. often experience homelessness at higher rates, contributing to the overall homeless population.
  5. Poverty: Poverty remains a persistent challenge, affecting housing stability and exacerbating homelessness.

Women and families represent the fastest growing groups of our country’s homeless population, and just over one-third are women in families with children. 65% of homeless women with children under 18 live with their children (compared with only 7% for homeless men. Many of the women and girls served by Chrysalis Community Grant Partners face these issues, compounding the challenges to adequately finding shelter or housing for themselves and their families.

With other organizations, we can use this information to advocate for improving homeless services, particularly for women and girls. This is just part of the solution – improvements will require investments from policymakers. If you read through the Homeless Gap analysis produced by Homeward, you’ll find additional information you can share with others who would like to improve an already-burdened homeless services system.