Rapid rehousing is a better way to address homelessness in Iowa

Housing advocates in Iowa are taking a new approach to addressing homelessness and they just got a big boost of federal funding.

The state will dedicate more than $21 million to the Rapid Rehousing Project under the Iowa Finance Authority. It’s a portion of federal American Rescue Plan Act funding meant to bolster housing in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic impacts. We think it’s a wise investment.

Rapid rehousing represents a recent sea change in assistance for those experiencing homelessness. While some traditional models impose conditions on their services — like looking for a job or staying sober — rapid rehousing programs emphasize getting clients into supportive housing first and also offer help with related issues, such as unemployment and substance use.

The old model is meant to prioritize resources for those best equipped to succeed but it may end up costing taxpayers more in the long run as chronically homeless people cycle in and out of various local services over many years.

This approach already has shown promising outcomes in Iowa as it has been expanded in recent years.

At Iowa City-based Shelter House, 402 people were helped by the rapid rehousing program in 2020. Of those, 97 percent exited the program into permanent housing and 87 percent exited with at least one income source.

“All about reducing barriers and the understanding that for stability, for health, for other things to be able to happen, an individual has to first have entry into their own home,” Shelter House director Crissy Canganelli told The Gazette’s Izabela Zaluska.

Statewide last year, nearly 4,000 individuals were served by rapid rehousing programs. The newly announced installment of federal money will assist at least 700 people by expanding capacity in programs run by existing agencies, organizers estimate.

Iowa’s Rapid Rehousing Program also is working to expand eligibility for homelessness services to people who are “doubling up” or “couch surfing,” situations that can quickly devolve into people not having a place to stay at all.

“The ultimate goal is to ensure that homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring,” said Terri Rosonke, Iowa Finance Authority's housing programs manager.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com