Community help kept overflow shelter open overtime in Cedar Rapids

With spring in the air, the Linn County Continuum of Care Overflow Shelter would like to thank Cedar Rapids and all its partners.

Linn County began operating the current Overflow Shelter within the Fillmore Center at 520 11th Street NW in November of 2019. The typical season for the Emergency Overflow Shelter starts in November and ends in March of the following year. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent August 2020 derecho, the overflow shelter has remained open long past its original closing date. Without the continued support of our community, city and local organizations, this much needed resource could not have remained open for individuals and families facing homelessness.

The Linn County Overflow Shelter is planned and coordinated through the Community Shelter and Wellness Committee. This community effort is a collaboration of homeless service providers, mental health and substance use agencies, local health care providers and local law enforcement.

Since opening the overflow shelter in 2019, it has provided over 22,000 nights of shelter to those experiencing crisis in our community as a low-barrier shelter. The mission of a low-barrier shelter is to immediately provide help for anyone experiencing a housing crisis, because no one should be left out in the cold alone. The Linn County Overflow Shelter allows clients an opportunity to focus on addressing their barriers such as mental health and substance use that impact their stability while not sleeping outside in dangerous conditions.

Lt. Tony Robinson of the Cedar Rapids Police Department Community Services Division talked about the need for the Linn County Emergency Overflow Shelter:

“The Community Overflow Shelter has been a much needed resource for the Cedar Rapids community, especially from a law enforcement perspective. Prior to the shelter being in place, officers struggled to locate appropriate accommodations for those in need to get out of extreme elements during the overnight hours. Many times, with no other options, these individuals would sleep in the entryways to businesses or private property in order to escape extreme cold and conditions. The Police Department was often called by property owners and officers had few options except asking the individuals to vacate upon the owner’s request. In addition to providing much needed emergency shelter, the Community Overflow Shelter, can provide additional resources to those in need. It is hopeful that with these resources, these individuals will find long term housing with the end result having less contact with law enforcement.”

Since 2019, the Linn County Overflow Shelter has provided roughly 979 individuals with a roof over their head throughout two winter seasons, COVID-19 pandemic and 2020 derecho. These individuals and families have stayed an average of 21 days, but most stay less than a week. While there, most people connect with housing, mental health and substance use services from throughout our community and when they leave the overflow shelter only around 17 percent return.

Erin Foster, director of the Linn County Access Center, said, “As a program director of a new program to the community, we are even more aware of the need for mental health services in the community and understand that connecting community members to the correct level of service can be a pivotal role in addressing homelessness as a community.”

Linn County Continuum of Care Public Awareness Committee understands the Emergency Overflow Shelter is not perfect. As a low-barrier shelter, often serving those with the highest barriers and who have experienced persistent homelessness, we recognize the strains it can place on a neighborhood and are working to address our community’s valid concerns.

The first step included a public forum hosted by Willis Dady Homeless Services where Shelter Services Director Denine Rushing said, “I just wanted to bridge the gap. Even though I do not live here. I am here every day so; we are a part of the community. I wanted to have the opportunity to officially meet and try ironing out some of those concerns.”

As a committee, we would like to thank you for voicing your concerns and caring about our community so deeply. Your feedback is crucial to how we partner with the Community Shelter and Wellness team, our city and county officials, and our local organizations to better serve those experiencing homelessness in Linn County.

Linn County and the City of Cedar Rapids are continuing to look to partner with the Community Shelter and Wellness team to secure long-term solutions to where the overflow shelter will be located and how to continue providing this necessary service. The Linn County Overflow Shelter doors remain open, we thank all our community partners, Linn County, the City of Cedar Rapids, and all of you, our community for supporting us in our work.

Alicia Faust is public awareness chair of the Linn County Continuum of Care Public Awareness Committee.