DES MOINES, IOWA (April 22, 2025) — The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Board of Directors recently awarded $25,000 to the City of Sioux City to support the creation of the state’s first Homeless Court Program (HCP). The program, funded through IFA’s Emergency and Innovative Housing Fund, is designed to help individuals experiencing homelessness resolve legal barriers that prevent them from securing stable housing and employment.
HCPs bring together courts, local shelters, service agencies, prosecutors, and public defenders to provide a community-based alternative to the traditional courtroom. The program allows participants to resolve outstanding misdemeanor offenses, infractions, and warrants by working with a case manager from a local supportive services agency who will work directly with the person experiencing homelessness to develop an individualized self-sufficiency plan and secure supportive services specific to their needs. If the participant successfully completes the program, court cases may be dismissed and fines and fees that were unlikely to be collected may be removed, reducing barriers to housing and employment. The HCP model builds trust, promotes community engagement, and enhances overall public health and safety.
“The Homeless Court Program is a powerful initiative that fosters collaboration across the community in an effort to end the cycle of homelessness,” said IFA Director Debi Durham. “This investment will support those in need and strengthen the services provided by the City of Sioux City.”
Since 2001, the American Bar Association Commission on Homelessness and Poverty has helped establish similar programs in more than seventy jurisdictions nationwide, and they will provide technical assistance for the Sioux City program. The Sioux City HCP will be the first HCP implemented in the state of Iowa.
“The creation of the Sioux City Homeless Court Program is an important step in breaking down legal barriers that prevent individuals from achieving stable housing and jobs,” said Jill Wanderscheid, Neighborhood Services Manager. “With 206 households, consisting of 286 individuals, currently on the Sioux City’s Coordinated Entry list waiting for housing resources, this program will play a crucial role in addressing homelessness in our community.”
The IFA Board of Directors established the Emergency and Innovative Housing Fund in 2024 to effectively respond to emergency housing needs related to natural disasters or other housing crises within Iowa and to participate in creative and innovative initiatives related to supporting affordable housing. The IFA Board annually evaluates the Fund’s balance and approves additional funding deposits each year as part of the agency’s fiscal-year budgeting process.
