Des Moines' largest homeless shelter ends "weather amnesty"
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Des Moines' largest shelter for people experiencing homelessness will no longer accept more than its 150-person bed space during "weather amnesty" events, Polk County Supervisors were told by its CEO on Tuesday.
The big picture: Weather amnesty allows area shelters to use cots or chairs to accommodate more people during extreme weather.
- Central Iowa Shelter & Services (CISS) has accommodated about twice its bed capacity during some of the most brutally cold weather events.
- While state and federal grants cover many of CISS' operations, it relies on donations for the amnesty service.
Driving the news: The program is ending after April because amnesty expenses are escalating, CISS CEO Melissa O'Neil told supervisors before they allocated nearly $300,000 for shelter repairs.
- A 10-day stretch in January when wind chills were below 10° cost nearly $101,000, she said.
Zoom in: CISS will also soon end a service that provides free breakfast and dinner at its downtown location for people seeking help but are not staying at the shelter, O'Neil said.
- Three meals will continue for people in the shelter, she said.
Stunning stat: CISS serves about 4,500 breakfasts and 6,000 dinners each month to people not staying at the shelter, O'Neil tells Axios.
The fine print: As many as 20 extra spaces will be made available during weather amnesty events to people from Clive, Waukee and West Des Moines — the municipal governments outside of DSM that make financial contributions to CISS, O'Neil said.
State of play: There's hope that other communities or philanthropic groups will help cover the extra costs to continue the extreme weather service, O'Neil said.
- It's still unknown whether an overflow space at Polk County's River Place could accommodate everyone, but it remains available, Supervisor Angela Connolly tells Axios.
- Meanwhile, the city of DSM launched enforcement of new public sleeping and camping bans last month.
What they're saying: Resources to assist unsheltered people could get tighter amid the uncertain future of federal grants and new limits to Iowa's property tax growth that could result in cuts into CISS' budget, Connolly said.
- "It's the perfect storm, and I'm very nervous," Connolly said.
Flashback: CISS was formed by a group of churches after five people froze to death on DSM streets after being denied shelter in 1992.
What's next: CISS' extra meal services are expected to end in early April, Connolly said.