Federal money that helps homeless Iowans is tied up in court, as the Trump administration works to shift funds away from permanent housing programs and toward short-term housing and services, like shelters and treatment programs.
Courtney Guntly is director of the Iowa Balance of State Continuum of Care, and oversees distribution of the money for 96 Iowa counties. She says that money has historically gone to permanent housing programs.
Guntly says, “Our permanent housing programs are not just a ‘Here is a key to an apartment. Good luck.’ It is certainly, ‘Here is a key to an apartment. Here is the financial support to make sure that you can stay in that apartment,’ but it is also those supportive services to make sure that they can maintain that.”
She says the majority of permanent housing programs in Iowa rely on federal funding and will be at risk of shutting down if the new restrictions are allowed.
“There’s not currently any state programs to fund permanent housing projects,” she says, “and while some local communities are helping to fund that, that is not something that is consistent across the state as a whole.”
Federal officials tried to pass the tighter restrictions last year, but they were not allowed by an appeals court. Guntly says the uncertainty is making it difficult for programs to make long-term plans.
