Des Moines shelter limits access amid funding gap
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Only a few metro cities contribute to the budget of the region's largest homeless shelter, yet dozens of local governments rely on it to assist their unhoused residents.
Why it matters: Budget challenges are forcing Central Iowa Shelter & Services (CISS) to make changes.
- People seeking help from cities that don't participate will be turned away if the facility has already reached its 150-bed capacity, Melissa O'Neil, the shelter's CEO, told metro officials earlier this month.
Catch up quick: CISS is a downtown DSM shelter that can double its capacity using cots or chairs during extreme weather in a "weather amnesty" program.
- After April, the shelter plans to end that program and will generally limit admissions to its regular bed space.
- It's also ending a breakfast and dinner program for people who don't stay at the shelter, cutting over 10,000 meals a month.
Driving the news: Shelter officials will offer a 20-spot overflow for people from cities that have agreements with the shelter and contribute to its budget.
- Others will be turned away if there's no room, O'Neil said, responding to questions from DSM Mayor Connie Boesen during a meeting earlier this month before the Metro Advisory Council (MAC).
By the numbers: The shelter's annual budget is around $6.5 million, with government contributions making up more than half. Private donations and fundraising make up the rest.
- West Des Moines and Waukee contribute $15,000, while Clive pays $5,000.
- DSM allocates over $400,000 using federal grants but doesn't have a specific agreement with CISS so its citizens would not qualify for the extra space.
What they're saying: CISS is evaluating each community's bed utilization rate by ZIP code and will, in the coming weeks, provide the MAC's 19 cities with proposals for what it believes would be equitable contributions, O'Neil tells Axios.
The intrigue: Ongoing federal funding uncertainties have placed DSM's long-term support in question, O'Neil said.
Yes, but: The federal government has passed a resolution maintaining funding for at least the current fiscal year, DSM's federal funds administrator Lisa Crabbs tells Axios.
- The money DSM allocates to CISS is anticipated to remain relatively flat, and the city doesn't have plans to access alternative funding sources at this time, she said.
What's next: Conversations about future contributions are ongoing with some cities.
- WDM and Clive are already considering increasing contributions in the upcoming fiscal year, O'Neil said.