Q&A: Crissy Canganelli on the Iowa City low-barrier winter shelter

IOWA CITY — In mid-November, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors approved Shelter House's request to use a county building at 821 S. Clinton St. as a low-barrier winter emergency shelter.

Shelter House Executive Director Crissy Canganelli talks about operations at the shelter since it opened Dec. 6.

Q: How have things been going so far?

A: The operations are going well. We have ample space to work this year which is a positive for everyone.

There's a reasonable buffer space between the cots and then additional space to accommodate congregate activity removed from the sleeping space.

Additionally, this year we were able to confirm the location and access to the property earlier in the process than in prior years.

This gave us an edge and valuable time to hire, train and onboard temporary staff and volunteers.

We also are fortunate to have a strong foundation of returning staff and volunteers who know the people and the expectations of the program.

Q: How has this location/year compared to previous locations/years?

A: We've been quite lucky with each season's program location and are deeply grateful to Hodge Construction, SouthGate Companies, Allen Homes and Johnson County for donating the use of each year's facility.

Each year has presented unique benefits.

This year, the primary benefit is that we are located in close proximity to Johnson County Ambulance Services. They welcomed us to the neighborhood, which was incredibly uplifting for us and have already reached out to explore possibilities of providing outreach and services between calls.

Q: How many people have been served, and how long is the shelter expected to be open?

A: Through Dec. 18, 39 unique individuals have been sheltered with an average of 25 people per night.

In past years, we have served anywhere from 150 to 175 unique individuals throughout the entire season — roughly 13 weeks.

This year, we opened a little early, so at minimum we'll be operational for 15 weeks.

We intend to remain open through mid-March. If the weather turns bitter, we can remain open longer.

Q: In addition to providing a warm place to sleep, the temporary shelter has been shown to provide other benefits throughout the community. Can you tell me a little about those?

A: With our expanded winter shelter capacity, individuals who would have otherwise been incarcerated or sleeping in encampments, parking ramps and hallways of apartment buildings are instead ensured a safe, warm place to sleep.

For the past three winters, and as a direct result of these services, vagrancy calls to the police have decreased precipitously — anywhere from 74 percent to 67 percent, depending on the year.

No one has died on our streets from exposure.

l Comments: (319) 339-3175; mitchell.schmidt@thegazette.com