New metro coalition taps businesses to solve homelessness
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A new public-private coalition tasked with implementing the Blueprint to Address Homelessness in Polk County held one of its first board meetings this week, tapping businesses, advocacy groups and governments to increase accountability and expand regional participation.
Why it matters: The metro has a rising number of people experiencing homelessness while key funding sources decline — creating urgency for a coordinated, multijurisdictional response.
Catch up quick: The Housing Solutions Alliance (HSA) is a new version of the Homeless Coordinating Council, a longstanding metro-area group that managed efforts among governments and service providers.
- The HSA aims to promote greater participation by business and civic leaders and unite them with metro governments in a shared decision-making process.
- It follows the comprehensive regional blueprint plan created by local advocacy groups and governments, released in May. That plan acknowledged the lack of a coordinated system for how the metro prevents, responds to, and reduces homelessness.
Zoom in: The plan highlights focus areas to reduce the flow into the homelessness system, enhance crisis response, and speed up access to stable housing over the next five years.
- It frames the goals as a regional responsibility rather than solely a government jurisdictional issue.
State of play: The HSA board includes representatives from about 15 governments, businesses and human service advocacy groups, such as Polk County, DSM, Urbandale, West Des Moines, UnityPoint Health, Hy-Vee and the Principal Foundation.
- The group is still finalizing bylaws and vetting strategies to achieve its goals and track progress, HSA director Doug Romig told the DSM City Council this week.
The intrigue: DSM has already started working with the HSA to explore ideas for a facility with private units — including indoor and outdoor sleeping pod models — to expand emergency shelter capacity, Amber Lewis, the city's homeless policy administrator, told the council this week.
- The work also collaborates with the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, an international program aimed at helping mayors and city staff solve complex problems.
What we're watching: How governments and businesses provide resources to support the group's upcoming efforts.
- Municipalities haven't been asked for funding yet, Romig told the DSM council this week.