Report: Linn’s scarce access to housing worsened by inequities

CEDAR RAPIDS — Disasters have worsened the barriers Linn County residents face in finding safe and stable housing, but those issues are even more prevalent based upon a person's race, age, disability or other facets of their identity, according to a new report.

As Linn County communities grapple with a scarcity of housing, local government entities, nonprofits, philanthropic partners and other organizations have joined forces to create the Alliance for Equitable Housing. The coalition emerged out of 2020 disaster response efforts, when that year’s derecho’s hurricane-force wind gusts damaged over 2,300 rental units and nearly 1,000 owner-occupied units, compounding housing challenges that grew in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The alliance’s first report, released last week, lays the groundwork for the group’s short-, medium- and long-term efforts to meet urgent needs while striving to create solutions that get at the root of systemic problems.

Collectively, the coalition works through a framework of four action planning groups organized by issues the community identified through conversations and outreach: Housing Quality, Energy Efficiency, Resiliency; Scarcity of units; Access to Housing & Homelessness; and Equity.

Housing quality, energy efficiency, resiliency

Forty percent of Linn County’s residential units were built before 1970, according to the report — meaning much of the housing stock is more likely to have lead and asbestos and lack energy efficiency upgrades. The age of the county’s housing stock also means it’s more vulnerable to damage when disaster strikes.

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After the derecho, some community members grappled with gaps in insurance coverage. Some struggled to make repairs for two years after the storm or battled contractors who didn’t offer a quality repair job. Renters reported living in unsafe and unhealthy conditions because of a lack of available and affordable housing options.

The coalition wants to use a “carrot-and-stick approach” to improve accountability for housing conditions through various, still-to-be-determined means, said Ashley Balius, Linn County community outreach and assistance director. This would consider the challenges landlords face while boosting support for renters.

Scarcity of units

Demand is high for housing countywide as communities try to attract and retain a growing workforce, but supply is insufficient to keep up with population increases. Construction cost challenges persist with high inflation and interest rates.

Young professionals and those who face high barriers to housing with challenges such as eviction, poor credit or a criminal history were at a disadvantage, the report found.

Balius said the alliance is working to build developers’ capacity to create more affordable housing, broadening the pool of developers who know how to tap into available funding.

But while financial incentives at the local, state and federal levels are available to support housing development and rehabilitation, Cedar Rapids Housing Services Manager Sara Buck said there are limitations. It’s typically a competitive process to receive these funds, much less make housing available at the various price points needed — especially units that require deep subsidies to be affordable.

“It’s all about money,” Buck said. “At the end of the day, how can we figure out how to fund certain things?”

Support to prevent homelessness is low

More housing units with supportive services to help people facing homelessness are needed, but the supply in Linn County is low.

“It is nearly impossible to find stable and sustainable funding for staffing to do the necessary work to help this population,” according to the report. Plus, recruitment and retention can be a challenge in these roles because of low pay and burnout.

The need is greater than what state and county emergency rental assistance programs can support, Balius said.

Karey Chase, United Way of East Central Iowa’s vice president of community impact, said the coalition isn’t looking to destabilize existing housing services but rather improve how people needing assistance move through systems so they’re not just cycling through services repeatedly.

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Local officials said they anticipate the work of the National Alliance to End Homelessness with local governments and service providers, funded by Cedar Rapids’ federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars, will help with these efforts to chart a path.

Equity

Seniors and households with disabilities in particular — especially those with Section 8 federal assistance vouchers — struggle to find housing that meets their needs in terms of quality, affordability or level of care provided, according to the report.

Evictions in Linn County also were found to disproportionately affect people of color, women and people with disabilities.

Moreover, as the action groups work toward solutions, they’re also trying to prevent gentrification and displace long-term residents who are at risk of being priced out as new development occurs.

Chase said the coalition is working to be mindful that the needs of different people are truly being met.

“We want to make sure that we’re getting all of the community’s perspective,” Chase said. “It could be different for race, it could be different for accessibility, it could be different from rural to cities. That’s what even makes it more complex, is that it could be multiple issues that you’re trying to resolve for one problem.”

What’s next?

Each action planning group will draft their own plans, likely within the next year.

The coalition is counting some wins already, though, such as the availability of ARPA and federal Community Development Block Grant disaster recovery funds. These dollars are supporting efforts to come up with solutions for systemic housing issues as well as housing rehabilitation and construction.

Balius said this work isn’t intended to reinvent the wheel, but rather to work together to use resources efficiently and communicate what’s available, close gaps and ensure community members feel a tangible impact. This can range from creating a guide to help people vet landlords and find available housing to longer-range efforts to create more housing that meets people’s needs.

“I hope to give people the hope and optimism that we really can do this — we can overcome it … but we have a lot of hurdles to overcome,” Balius said.

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