The Housing Fund for Linn County, on behalf of the Alliance for Equitable Housing, won the inaugural Innovation in Homelessness Pitch Competition on Sept. 5.
The award was presented by the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) as part of the HousingIowa Conference in Des Moines. The IFA’s competition sought forward-thinking proposals that addressed homelessness prevention and response.
“The Innovation in Homelessness Incubator aims to transform homelessness prevention and response systems and rethink how support is provided to those experiencing homelessness in Iowa,” Iowa Finance Authority Director Debi Durham said in a release. “Our homeless services providers rose to the challenge.”
The Alliance for Equitable Housing is a multi-jurisdictional collaboration made up of Linn County cities, funders, advocacy groups and nonprofits. It was created out of derecho disaster response, and it has continued to identify resources and strategies to address local housing issues.
The winning pitch receives up to $100,000 in funding to develop a pilot initiative.
J’nae Peterman gave the pitch alongside Alicia Faust of Willis Dady and Kelsey Culver of Waypoint Services. Ms. Peterman served as the Director of Housing Services at Waypoint for 10 years before accepting her current role as Homeless Systems Manager, a position jointly funded by the City of Cedar Rapids and Linn County.
“J’nae Peterman spearheaded the successful proposal and pitch process,” said Tracey Achenbach, Executive Director of the Housing Fund for Linn County. “This award signals the promising success we can achieve by collaborating and incorporating insights from those with lived experience to better serve our community.”
The proposal involves creating an advisory council of individuals with lived experience of homelessness. This council will provide critical insights into policy recommendations, program development and community engagement strategies. By integrating the perspectives of those directly affected by homelessness, the Alliance aims to develop more effective and inclusive solutions that address the needs of marginalized populations and drive meaningful community change.
“Gaining insight from those with lived experience will assist our community with a greater understanding of the barriers to obtaining resources in our community,” said Sara Buck, Housing Services Manager for the City of Cedar Rapids. “This understanding will make our programs more accessible for our most vulnerable citizens.”
The panel of judges included Erin Drinnin from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Service; IFA Director Debi Durham; Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness; Gilbert Thomas from the IFA Board of Directors; and Matt White with Housing Innovations.
Ms. Peterman, and the City of Cedar Rapids, were also awarded at the conference Sept. 4. The City of Cedar Rapids received one of the Housing Iowa awards in the category of Special Needs Development for The Heights housing project, while Ms. Peterman received the Kay Anderson Friend of Iowa Award.
For more details on the Innovation in Homelessness Incubator Pitch Competition and the other finalists, visit iowafinance.com.
