Homeless systems manager outlines plan to improvement for Cedar Rapids, Linn County service providers

• Changing the way homeless services are provided, from a transactional nature to relationship-oriented connections, will be key to successfully serving those in need.
• A street outreach team has compiled a list of those living unsheltered to better track their needs.
• An advisory council of people who have experienced homelessness has helped redefine street outreach efforts.
• New initiatives are helping clients secure landlords or permanent supportive housing with intensive case management.
• A new plan, to be implemented next fiscal year, outlines 5 pillars for success with key strategies and deliverables.

One year ago, J’nae Peterman started charting a new way forward for Cedar Rapids and Linn County.

After 10 years as a housing services director for Waypoint, she assumed a new position that offered a bird’s-eye view of homelessness in Cedar Rapids and Linn County, as well as the agencies that serve residents who struggle with housing.

Background

The new position, started in June 2024, was created based on recommendations from the Washington, D.C.-based National Alliance to End Homelessness, which evaluated Cedar Rapids’ homeless systems in 2023. The city of Cedar Rapids and Linn County government, splitting the annual cost of $150,000, will fund the position for three years.

Housed at the East Central Iowa Council of Governments in the Housing Trust Fund for Linn County division, the position reports to Linn County supervisors and the Cedar Rapids City Council monthly.

A community problem requires community solutions, and Peterman’s vision is to “rightsize” the interventions and resources already in place, creating a unified system that could immediately catch those entering homelessness and get them out of the system as quickly as possible.

What’s happened since

Early on, Peterman’s day-to-day work was dominated by meetings, data and tedious spreadsheets. Now, the first year of Peterman’s three-year plan is complete — and she has a lot to show for it.

A foundation laid by the data shows that Cedar Rapids and Linn County have the right ingredients for success with homeless services providers. Now, she says the work they do needs to be refined to help reduce homelessness.

“Agencies really need to come in line with understanding that they need to change the way they’re providing services, and change is hard,” Peterman said.

Introspective evaluation can be a challenge in a sector where social workers have dedicated their careers to bettering the lives of others, often with high case loads and high levels of stress. That’s one strength of Peterman’s new job — focusing on solutions that address homelessness systemically without the bias of working for any particular nonprofit.

One change that needs to be made is in the nature of how services are administered. A common misconception is that those living outdoors are refusing service en masse — simply uninterested in services available.

But only 14 percent of those experiencing homelessness refuse services, data shows.

“What we’ve heard is that services are offered at a very transactional level in the community, and that’s why they’re not always successful,” Peterman said. “(Clients) do want housing, supports and connection, but we’re doing it in a way that does not meet their needs.”

Street outreach

Already, Peterman has geared up with organizations to do just that by making homeless services more relationship and connection oriented.

The Coordinated Entry Street Outreach Collaborative, launched in April, has deployed a team of providers specializing in housing, mental health, physical health and substance use. The team has created a list of every person sleeping unsheltered to track where they are, what services they are connected to, and what services they’re in need of.

When law enforcement is called to address an encampment, officers work with the team to address the situation. If residents need to “move along,” the team can help move belongings peacefully and clean the area.

If no complaints have been filed, the team helps them keep their space clean — reducing the likelihood of complaints or confrontation. With knowledge of who lives where, the outreach team also knows who to contact when they get information about an affected area.

“We have a better handle of who is out there and what’s going on,” Peterman said.

Stakeholders are in the early stages of forming a street medicine program for clients who are not connected to doctors or are uncomfortable going to see them. The team could provide wound care, write and deliver prescriptions, and track mental health care needs like appointments and medication adherence.

“We want to help people stabilize so we can help them make some headway,” Peterman said.

Lived Experience Advisory Council

The Lived Experience Advisory Council, a new committee comprised of currently or formerly homeless Cedar Rapidians, has helped redefine street outreach since they started meeting earlier this year.

The council’s seven members, who meet twice a month, have been crucial to ongoing improvements and a ready body of support to implement some initiatives.

“We’ve been able to get feedback to case managers on what works and what doesn’t work in terms of rehousing programs, so they can make adjustments to be more successful,” Peterman said.

Members have designed quick-reference pamphlets with easily digestible resources, facilities and contact information for food, laundry, medical care and more.

At one of their first meetings in early April, it was clear that they provided unique insights often overlooked by others. One suggested the pamphlet be foldable or waterproof to survive longer with those who live outdoors. Another suggested that it include photos of buildings to make resources easier to identify.

Committee members, who are paid for their time and receive a meal at each meeting, also provide valuable knowledge and community rapport in street outreach.

Housing programs

The Alliance for Equitable Housing launched a program in November to help bridge the gap between landlords and tenants who have difficulty securing housing.

Recommended by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the Landlord Tenant Success Initiative establishes 12-month leases for people who have a history of being denied leases due to past evictions or criminal histories.

The program, funded by a $100,000 donation from Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust, offers a $1,000 cash incentive to landlords who accept the tenants. It also sets aside additional funds for risk mitigation to reimburse landlords for costs incurred due to a tenant.

Tenants are asked to attend tenant education classes and case management, and will be compensated up to $700 for attending. Case managers inspect leased units once a month and bring concerns to landlords.

“In order for communities to be successful with rehousing programs, you need to have some type of landlord incentive and landlord support program,” Peterman said.

In addition to availability, housing costs also remain an issue. According to the 2024 Cedar Rapids Housing Needs Analysis, market rate rents increased 103 percent from 2013 to 2024.

The need for permanent supportive housing, an important option for clients who need more intensive case management as they find housing again, also remains high.

To that end, 37 more units will come online by the end of July, thanks to a partnership with Margaret Bock Housing. The supportive housing will dovetail with work from other service providers to help stabilize tenants and transition them into independent housing.

“They’ve done their own thing for a long time, but they’re looking at how they can be more impactful,” Peterman said.

5 Pillars

The path forward has been defined by five pillars.

Peterman’s plan, subject to approval by the Homeless Systems Oversight Board, outlines key deliverables, strategies, actions and a timeline to secure each objective.

“This is how we hold community partners accountable to really addressing this work and making sure we’re all working together,” Peterman said.

The pillars are:

Street outreach will be the strongest pillar. The others have been created from scratch. If approved, the plan will be deployed at the start of the fiscal year.

If Peterman’s vision comes to fruition, her job may soon be redundant in a world where homelessness is “rare, brief and non-recurring.”

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.