In Depth Week News Today

2024 has been a busy year for The Gazette newsroom

The bill introduced this week would have allowed cities and counties to use state funds to establish homeless encampments on public property, and would prohibit sleeping, camping or erecting a shelter on public property outside of official sites. The legislation was ultimately tabled on Tuesday.

To keep vulnerable, high-need populations housed, residents need wraparound services. Housing alone isn’t always enough. As need grows, local governments and service providers are creatively using resources to build facilities and create staff roles to meet these needs.

This year’s winter “Point in Time” count Jan. 24 yielded mixed results in Linn and Johnson counties that showed perhaps the start of changing trends for both.

Iowa Ideas In-Depth Week – February 12-16. In-Depth Week takes a deeper look into one of the topics discussed at the Iowa Ideas Conference. This week will cover the Human and Social Services topic of homelessness.

With 13 apartments, this building will have an impact on a growing, chronically homeless population in Cedar Rapids.

Rising costs have been felt acutely by seniors on fixed incomes, who increasingly are turning to food banks and other programs. But many advocates in Iowa predicted there would be an increase in demand for food assistance after benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program returned to pre-pandemic levels