Iowa Finance Authority Awards more than $5.7 Million for Homelessness Assistance Initiatives

(DES MOINES) – The Iowa Finance Authority Board of Directors recently approved more than $5.7 million in grants to assist 48 agencies with homelessness assistance initiatives during the 2025 calendar year.

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“The homelessness assistance awards announced today will have a direct impact in helping thousands of Iowans in their time of need,” said Iowa Finance Authority Director Debi Durham.

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Individuals in need of homelessness assistance should visit iowahousinghelp.com or call the coordinated entry system at 833-739-0065. Residents of Des Moines or Polk County should call centralized intake at 515-248-1850. Residents in the Siouxland area should visit siouxlandhomeless.org or call 712-224-5247.

The funding is made available through the federal Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program, the State-funded Shelter Assistance Fund (SAF) and the federal Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program. The Iowa Finance Authority conducted competitive application processes for the ESG and SAF programs, while HOPWA funding is distributed by formula based upon Iowa Department of Public Health data. Applications were scored in several categories, including project design, experience and capacity, community partnerships, performance, budget and grants management.

Emergency Solutions Grant Program (ESG)
The primary purpose of the Federal Emergency Solutions Grant program is to help Iowans and their families quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis or homelessness. Examples of eligible services include rental and other emergency financial assistance, street outreach, case management and supportive services. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and by the Iowa Finance Authority in Iowa. Twenty-seven agencies were awarded a total of more than $2.9 million in 2025 Emergency Solutions Grant Program funds.

Shelter Assistance Fund (SAF)
The State-funded Shelter Assistance Fund program provides assistance to help with the costs of operations of homeless and domestic violence shelters, essential services for the homeless and evaluation and reporting services. Thirty agencies were awarded a total of more than $1.7 million in 2025 Shelter Assistance Fund grants.

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Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA)
Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS is a federal program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development designed to assist persons who have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and their families who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. Five agencies were awarded a total of more than $1 million in 2025 Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS grants.

The list of awards is available here.

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