A NEW APPROACH: Improving the Housing and Homelessness System in Linn County
Before the pandemic and derecho, Linn County faced growing housing problems—aging homes, rising prices, and racial disparities in homeownership. After the storm damaged thousands of homes, things got worse.
When the federal government distributed emergency rental assistance funding, local groups teamed up to oversee the process and gather data. This effort became known as the Partnership Advancing Community Stability (PACS). Before PACS, renters looking for help had to fill out different forms at each agency. PACS made it easier by creating one system that tracked all applications and reduced confusion.
“As the community came together to respond to challenges brought on by the pandemic and derecho, we recognized an opportunity to improve the local housing and homelessness system,” said Ashley Balius, Director of Community Outreach and Assistance for Linn County. “This gave us a natural starting point for exploring long-term solutions.”
PACS later joined with other nonprofit and government groups to form the Alliance for Equitable Housing (AEH). The AEH’s action planning groups focus on housing quality, housing development, equity, and access to housing and homelessness.
Strengthening Collaborations
To better understand the issues, local governments used federal relief funds to study housing needs and the fairness of the current system in 2022. Those studies revealed gaps based on race, ethnicity, age, disability status, and other factors.
In 2023, Cedar Rapids worked with the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) to further review local systems. The NAEH found that while the number of unsheltered individuals had remained relatively steady in recent years, chronic homelessness was on the rise. The group suggested hiring a full-time staff member to collect data and coordinate efforts. Linn County and Cedar Rapids hired J’nae Peterman as the Homeless Systems Manager in 2024.
“As Housing Services Director at Waypoint, I was already up to date on community needs and outcomes of existing services,” J’nae said. “As Homeless Systems Manager, I get to work more broadly with providers to make sure services are meeting needs and expand our data on the issue.”
Early Successes
Based on NAEH input and the earlier studies, in 2024 PACS shifted focus from eviction prevention to understanding the root causes of evictions. A key part of this is better data collection.
“We’ve expanded street outreach efforts and now have an entire team working to connect with people experiencing homelessness,” J’nae said. “We’re gathering data and focusing on why people are unhoused, versus just tracking numbers and demographics. We’re one of the first communities to take this approach, and we’re hopeful it will set us up to create more effective solutions.”
One new idea is the Lived Experience Advisory Council. It includes seven people who are currently homeless or have been before. They give feedback on services, share information across agencies, and even work with police to develop better responses to encampments. Council members are paid for their time through grant funding.
Another new approach is the Landlord and Tenant Success Initiative, started in 2024. The program offers rewards to landlords who rent to people who have had trouble renting in the past. The program also rewards tenants who take renter education classes, and case workers check in each month to help keep things on track.
Through this combination of efforts, homelessness in Linn County is going down. In January 2021, Waypoint counted 324 people who were experiencing homelessness. By January 2024, that number dropped to 185—a 43% decrease. Nationally, homelessness went up by 33% during the same period.
Though changing laws and funding cuts may disrupt the work, local leaders are hopeful.
“We haven’t reached the finish line yet, but we live in a community that partners well and comes together in times of need,” J’nae said. “The people of Linn County dive in and see how we can come together to create a better future, and that gives me hope.”