Extreme heat leaves Cedar Rapids homeless community vulnerable, defenseless

After 12 years of being in and out of prison, Brandon Johnson was released July 16. In the two weeks since, he has been hospitalized twice for heat exhaustion. A third time, he was admitted for third-degree sunburns.

Each time, the 33-year-old man was released back to what put him in danger in the first place: the extreme heat suffocating Cedar Rapids and much of the United States.

“People could die out here,” Johnson said as he sat on a bench at Greene Square in downtown Cedar Rapids, sweat tracing his tattoos as it slid down his red skin. He has been homeless for a total of two years in between his prison sentences.

The National Weather Service’s Quad Cities Bureau issued an excessive heat warning from noon Thursday until Friday night for a swath of Eastern Iowa, including Linn and Johnson counties. The dangerous conditions came as Iowa sat on the periphery of a heat dome, which is a very hot air mass that forms when high-pressure conditions in the atmosphere trap warm air from rising.

Heat index values, or “feels like temperatures” that factor in humidity, soared to 109 degrees Friday afternoon in Cedar Rapids. The ambient air temperature reached 96 degrees — marking the area’s hottest temperatures of the summer so far. Human-caused climate change made those high temperatures three times as likely, according to Climate Central, a nonprofit news organization that analyzes and reports on climate science.

The most common guidance for protecting yourself against extreme heat is to find an air-conditioned place and stay there. Staying hydrated is also a must. But what about the people who don’t have easy access to those resources?

Since July 2019, the summer count of unsheltered homeless people in Cedar Rapids has more than tripled from 33 to 107 — the first time in recent memory the number has eclipsed 100, The Gazette previously reported.

That means more vulnerable residents are exposed to summer heat than ever, especially as heat waves have increased in frequency, duration and intensity, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Members of the Cedar Rapids homeless community say they need more resources to protect themselves from such a threat.

“Every year, it just gets hotter and hotter,” said Nicholas Henderson, a 29-year-old man who has been homeless for 11 years. He walked more than 4 miles Thursday, when heat index values reached 103 degrees, to activate his debit card. “Homeless people like myself, we just don't have anywhere to go.”

Extreme heat — dangerous and deadly

On Friday afternoon, Don Eis sat on a bench in the gymnasium of the Salvation Army Corps Community Center in northwest Cedar Rapids, leaning against a wall with his eyes closed. He recently had learned he has congestive heart failure, a disease making his lungs fill with fluid because his heart isn’t beating fast enough.

The 55-year-old houseless man said it has been hard for him to make doctor appointments because his phone keeps getting stolen. At that moment, all he could do was enjoy the short-lived respite from the brutal heat outside.

“It’s actually nice being in here. The cool air helps a lot,” Eis said. The Salvation Army Corps Community Center opens its doors to the public during extreme weather events, like heat waves. “I’ve never enjoyed the heat. I’m a redhead. The sun doesn’t like me.”

Last year, heat-related illnesses accounted for at least 1,037 emergency visits in Iowa, according to state data. There were also 49 hospitalizations last summer due to heat-related illnesses.

At the very least, heat exposure can cause dehydration, blistery rashes, painful sunburns and severe cramps. It can also lead to heat exhaustion, which makes victims sweaty, clammy, nauseous and lightheaded.

Several Cedar Rapids residents experiencing homelessness told The Gazette the extreme heat made them extremely fatigued, slow-moving, dehydrated and dizzy. Many were battling it alongside other physical or mental health problems.

“It wears you out,” Bradley Wayne Burnell Sr., a 53-year-old homeless man, said about the heat. “It takes all your energy.”

At its worst, extreme heat can cause heat strokes. Heat strokes occur when body temperatures reach 103 degrees or higher, prompting symptoms like fast pulses and loss of consciousness. Without proper medical treatment, heat strokes can be fatal. More than 11,000 Americans died from heat-related causes between 1979 and 2018, according to the EPA.

Velle Johnson, 54, said he has had at least five heat strokes in his life: three in Chicago, one in California and one in Cedar Rapids. He has been homeless for the past 2.5 years.

“You know in movies, when you hit a button and everyone just drops? That’s how it felt,” he said, describing his heat strokes. “You just drop.”

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Resources to beat the heat

During extreme heat, the Cedar Rapids homeless community finds solace where it can. That relief typically appears in the form of Linn County’s cooling centers — public spaces that provide shelter from the brutal weather.

The downtown Cedar Rapids Public Library is a popular spot on the list. Unhoused people can hunker down there during the height of the heat. Henderson said he’ll work at computers, filling out as many job applications as he can. He has been repeatedly denied work because of a medical condition that causes him to have seizures in his sleep.

Greene Square sits across the street. A splash pad marks the center of the green space. Several homeless people said they take advantage of its spurts of water to cool themselves down in the heat.

“When you do that as an adult, you're frowned on because it's a kids’ function,” Burnell said. “Us adults need to be cooled off, too. And some of us have animals.”

Others go to nonprofits that provide extra resources during extreme weather events.

The Salvation Army Corps Community Center, for instance, opened its air-conditioned gymnasium up to Cedar Rapids residents last week amid the heat. Its staff provided snacks, water, lunch and respite from the sun. On Friday afternoon, about a dozen people cooled down in the space as heat index values reached triple digits outside.

Willis Dady Homeless Services dispersed bottled water, ice and meals at its locations. Staff printed out lists of other cooling centers people could visit. Its emergency shelter has an air-conditioned lobby with a couch and computers where unhoused residents can cool off for short periods of time. The shelter’s overnight rooms were fully booked.

“Unfortunately, with Willis Dady being the only men's shelter in this county, when we’re full, there actually isn't any other option for single males in our community,” said shelter services director Denine Rushing.

Needs run deeper

Unhoused people in Cedar Rapids told The Gazette they were grateful for the resources available to them. But, after the close of business, most of those resources are gone until the next day. The Salvation Army Community Center shutters at 4 p.m. The Willis Dady Shelter closes at 9:30 p.m. Hours of other Linn County cooling centers largely mimic typical business hours.

The spike in the homeless population means there aren’t enough beds for residents in need, leaving most to fend for themselves overnight. Several said it was hard to find a public place to sleep. Nearly every unhoused person The Gazette spoke to said there needs to be more 24-hour shelters during times of extreme heat.

“Last night, I barely got to sleep because every time I found a spot to sit and relax, cops want to run me off,” Brandon Johnson said. “I still haven't had time to sleep.”

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Even during the day, it can be a struggle to get to resources like water and air conditioning. Some unhoused people said businesses wouldn’t let them inside because they were homeless. Many asked for more locations with free water.

Jennifer Pratt, Cedar Rapids’ community development director, said the city is committed to finding solutions that improve the well-being of homeless people. The National Alliance to End Homelessness hosted a two-day clinic in Cedar Rapids in June with city and Linn County elected officials, service providers and other key stakeholders. The group identified three top priorities:

The city’s Alliance for Equitable Housing, formed after the 2020 derecho, is also evaluating the needs of those facing homelessness in Cedar Rapids and the greater Linn County area. In a report released earlier this month, the alliance found that housing units with supportive services to help people facing homelessness are needed in Linn County, but the supply is low.

“We understand the concerns shared by those experiencing homelessness in our community. These are our neighbors, friends, and family, and we care deeply about their well-being,” Pratt said in an email. “We remain dedicated to actively listening to the needs of our community and to working hard for all who call Cedar Rapids home. By working together with our community and partners, we can grow as a more inclusive and supportive place for all.”

For a list of Linn County cooling centers and other heat relief guidance, visit linncountyiowa.gov/707/Heat-Relief.

Brittney J. Miller is the Energy & Environment Reporter for The Gazette and a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.

Comments: (319) 398-8370; brittney.miller@thegazette.com