Johnson County nonprofit to open reentry house for formerly incarcerated men

Inside Out, a Johnson County nonprofit organization that supports people returning to society after being incarcerated, will be opening a reentry house in Iowa City for low-income, formerly incarcerated men.

The house, at 719 Page St., was recently purchased and will be home to up to six men at a time. Residents will be able to stay in the house for up to two years, and Inside Out staff will be available to help them find jobs, community resources and new housing when the time comes. The rent will be $500 a month, and will include all utilities.

“There are a lot of folks that are trying to get out of prison, but they don’t have a place to go,” Michelle Heinz, executive director of Inside Out, said. “We’ve seen it over and over again, folks getting out and just not being able to find a place to live. And if you can’t find a roof over your head, then everything else just kind of tumbles around you.”

After some remodeling and construction, which is ongoing, the house will have six bedrooms, a large living room and kitchen, and other communal spaces. Heinz said the nonprofit wanted to make sure each resident has their own bedroom, so they can have the privacy they weren’t often given while incarcerated, but also communal spaces where they can socialize and support each other.

The nonprofit is hoping to have the house finished and open by the end of summer or early fall.

There will be an office in the house where Inside Out staff will be available regularly throughout the week, so residents can easily access the nonprofit’s services. The residents also will be asked to join a weekly house meeting and be paired with a community mentor.

“This environment of being in a supportive space, where there are other people that are also working toward those same goals — you can find camaraderie and partnership with the other people living here, while also having that staff presence. So, it’s not just a boardinghouse where someone’s renting a room. There’s truly going to be a culture of healing and support here,” Heinz said.

Applications to live in the house haven’t been opened yet, but Heinz said she’s already heard from several people who are interested in moving in. In order to qualify for a room in the house, an individual must have been released either from prison, jail, or work release within the last six months, and be making less than 30% of the area median income, since the house will be considered low-income housing.

Residents will be expected to maintain employment if they can, and those who aren’t required to be employed, due to receiving Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income, will be highly encouraged to volunteer in the community.

Qualified applicants will be chosen on a first-come-first-serve basis, and others will be placed on a waiting list, in case they’re still qualified and looking for housing when another room becomes available, Heinz said.

Inside Out worked with formerly incarcerated individuals to develop the housing agreements that the residents will be signing, to make sure the house is run in a way that will be the most helpful for those individuals. There are rules in the agreements regarding quiet hours and not having overnight guests, as well as staying alcohol and drug-free while living in the house. But there won’t be any curfews, Heinz said.

“We know that people are going to be coming in throughout the day, and we want them to also feel comfortable. We’re not a correctional facility. We want them to be able to go out,” Heinz said.

After the remodeling is complete, and before the house officially opens, Heinz said the nonprofit will invite people living in the surrounding neighborhood to come visit the house and learn more about Inside Out programs. Heinz said she’s anticipating that there may be some pushback from neighborhood members about having the reentry house in their area, but she hopes people will be kind and understanding.

“If there are ever any issues, we want to be responsive to those in the neighborhood as well, because we know that it can be hard whenever there’s new places opening up, or new people,” Heinz said. “With having the staff presence in the house on a really regular basis, we hope we can stay on top of all that stuff.”

The nonprofit purchased the house with $293,000, most of which came through grants and community sponsors, including various businesses and faith organizations in the area. Part of the funding — $60,000 — came from individual donations raised during a capital campaign that was started last fall. The idea for the house has been in the works for about four years now, according to Heinz.

Inside Out hopes to eventually work on purchasing additional reentry homes, including one for women, Heinz said.

“There’s no other barrier as large as finding housing in this community. There just really isn’t. So, to be able to give folks a head start … is really important,” she said.

Comments: (319) 398-8328; emily.andersen@thegazette.com