Bill Monroe
The Homeless Outreach Services Team (HOST) gave the Ames City Council an update on the status of homelessness in the city at Ames City Hall on June 24.
The Ames City Council heard how some become homeless in the community and the challenges they face, such as job searching and finding shelter, from a local outreach group.
The group formed in November and members call themselves the Homelessness Outreach Services Team (HOST). They are workers from several groups who started going out together once a week to find homeless people and offer help. The groups include Alternative Response for Community Health (ARCH), the city of Ames mental health advocate, a social worker from Mary Greeley Medical Center and staff from the Salvation Army.
In March, the team started holding meetings with other service providers to better coordinate help for people who need it.
What they found: The team goes out about once a week to help around seven people each time. Most of their work happens in downtown Ames and nearby areas, though they also visit west Ames and city parks.
About 15 to 20 people have been homeless in Ames for several years. Many they help struggle with mental health problems, drug or alcohol use, or have been in trouble with the law.
About 30% of the homeless people they meet have young children. The state’s Health and Human Services Department is often involved with these families, and some people don’t want to talk about their children because they’re afraid the children might be taken away.
Why people become homeless: The team learned that people become homeless for several reasons:
Sometimes landlords won’t let people renew their leases.
Many people can’t afford rent, even when they have jobs, because their work hours change from week to week.
Some people have been evicted before, either for not paying rent or for causing problems.
A few people don’t want to live in houses or apartments.
Some homeless people come to Ames thinking there are more services here, but they find out the programs are already full and can’t help more people.
Missing services: The team noticed several services that homeless people need but can’t get easily. People need help applying for jobs and finding places to rent. They also need help getting important papers such as birth certificates and identification.
When people do find temporary shelter, they often don’t have anyone to help them plan their next steps, which makes their situation worse. For people with intellectual disabilities, it’s very hard to get a legal guardian who can help them access services.
There aren’t enough mental health services, shelter beds, or affordable housing in Ames. Many people don’t understand how to get health services because the system is confusing. Homeless people also need safe places to store their belongings.
What’s Next: HOST plans to keep doing outreach every week and holding coordination meetings with other service providers. Team members want to have monthly lunch meetings where service providers can learn from each other and get training.
The team wants to get a logo or special clothing so people can easily recognize them when they’re doing outreach. They also want to improve their coordination meetings by getting help with taking notes and sharing information between agencies.
On June 27, HOST will try a new training session from ISU Extension and Outreach called, “Creating Purposeful Partnerships Through Effective Meetings.”
The team plans to apply for a grant from the Iowa Finance Authority called the 2025 Iowa Innovation in Homelessness Incubator program. The team could receive up to $100,000 if it’s chosen. Team members think working with other communities might give them a better chance of getting the grant.
What’s next: Following HOST’s report to the council on Tuesday, they will provide another update near the end of this year.