skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Housing First Movement Expands in Iowa

play audio
Play

Tuesday, May 25, 2021   

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- One of Iowa's largest cities will soon see another project that centers around the "housing first" philosophy in addressing chronic homelessness.

Next month, Shelter House in Iowa City will break ground on a 36-unit structure to provide long-term housing for those who have frequently moved in and out of shelters while dealing with mental health, behavioral or drug-dependency issues. The organization opened a 24-unit facility in 2019 called Cross Park Place.

Christine Ralston, director of development for Shelter House, said with the exception of one person being asked to leave, most other tenants are still there. They're trying to improve their lives, while not having to worry about their living arrangements.

"It's not transitional, Ralston explained. "It's not meant to say, 'You can stay here for a while and get out.' It is a, 'This is a place for you,' because there aren't a lot of really great options for people who experience chronic homelessness and have multiple, co-occurring behavioral or mental-health disorders."

Ralston noted in one of their case studies, one tenant had health-care costs billed through the University of Iowa care system at more than $211,000 prior to moving in. It was reduced to just under $1,000 a year later.

Skeptics, such as conservative think tanks, contended the approach boosts individuals but not broader homelessness issues around the country.

But Ralston argued their facilities are planned with round-the-clock trained staff who can deal with tenants in a crisis situation. She added immediate care in the person's permanent home is much better than forcing them into various shelters or other facilities if they're on the street.

"Being forced really often makes it a much harder thing to stick with," Ralston pointed out.

She emphasized people approved for these units get care, along with the stable housing, in a consent-style fashion. Supporters of the approach believe it makes them less prone to encounters with authorities, reducing demand on that front.

In Iowa City, tenants are only asked to pay 30% of their monthly income for their rent. A
recent report from the Urban Institute said the broader effort has sharply reduced homelessness among military veterans.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Education advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for programs to combat the teacher shortage. Around 37% of schools nationwide …


A 2022 report finds failing to speed up transmission beyond the current pace will increase 2030 U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions by 800 million tons per year. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021