Linn County Overflow Shelter to close May 31

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Linn County Overflow Shelter will close May 31 after remaining open through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The shelter at the Fillmore Center, 520 11th St. NW, will close as COVID-19 cases continue to decline, according to a news release.

The facility typically is open from approximately November to March to give homeless individuals a warm place to sleep at night. It has been open 24 hours a day since March 2020.

Since November 2019, when the shelter opened before the onset of the pandemic, the shelter has served more than 600 individuals, with an average of 64 people per night, according to the news release.

Since July 1, 2020, the shelter has provided more than 13,000 overnight stays.

Many permanent shelters in Cedar Rapids operated at reduced capacity to meet federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requirements and maintain social distance among clients and staff.

“The overflow shelter was a collaborative effort between the city of Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Willis Dady (Homeless Services) and local service providers to help ensure our most vulnerable populations had a safe, secure place to stay during a public health crisis, as well as following the catastrophic derecho,” Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart said.

For the past 14 months, because of the pandemic, 24-hour service as a shelter and day center has been provided at a cost of about $490,000, with Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement of 85 percent, resulting in a local cost of less than $75,000, City Community Development Director Jennifer Pratt said.

Typical overflow operations are night-only for four months at a cost of about $50,000 per year, with Cedar Rapids and Linn County splitting the cost equally, Pratt said.

“Linn County’s Cold Weather Overflow Shelter provides a valuable and necessary service during the cold winter months,” Linn County Supervisor Ben Rogers said.

Rogers said the county and the city are “working on improving homeless and sheltering services, particularly during daytime hours when traditional shelters are closed.”

The city and county also work with service providers to find permanent housing for homeless individuals and families.

“Our street outreach team will continue assisting households to meet their basic needs and get them into housing and access to other services,” Willis Dady Executive Director Alicia Faust said.

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