With more than 100 community members gathered both in person and online, city and county officials presented a homelessness action plan Monday night in the Ames Public Library, calling for urgent, coordinated efforts to address the growing crisis.
Urgency and Community Call to Action
“We truly need your help,” said Pa Goldbeck, assistant city manager for Ames. “This isn’t something that one or two organizations can solve. It has to be a whole community effort.”
Amy Flowers, president of Analytic Insights and the consultant behind the plan, stressed that addressing homelessness would require consistent and collective action.
“Homelessness requires a multifaceted and comprehensive approach,” Flowers said. “Implementation is the critical next step.”
Scope of the Problem
Story County faces severe shortages in shelter and housing options. A 2024 needs assessment found a 69% gap in crisis shelter beds for single adults and a 906% shortfall in rapid rehousing resources.
“Seventy-two percent of those in deep poverty in the region are in Story County,” Flowers said. “You are a hub for the Two Rivers region. Many smaller counties look to you for leadership.”
Flowers noted that neighboring counties often lack shelters, causing displaced individuals to migrate to Ames.
“Story County is a center of homelessness in this region,” Flowers said.
Plan Recommendations: Immediate Priorities
The report proposed five immediate goals:
- Strengthening service provider coordination
- Building a peer navigator program
- Expanding emergency shelter capacity
- Increasing case management servicesPartnering with IowaWORKS to connect vulnerable populations to employment
Flowers highlighted the value of peer navigators.
“They serve as a bridge to services for those reluctant to accept help,” Flowers said.
Flowers cited creative examples like a “wrapping paper” program in Ohio and Oklahoma City that allowed people experiencing homelessness to earn money while building relationships with the broader community.
Long-Term Vision and Housing Solutions
For longer-term progress, the plan proposed:
- Creating a task force to guide policy and funding
- Developing day shelters for extreme weather
- Supplementing emergency housing funds
- Building a mixed-use affordable housing complex by Year 3
Flowers proposed a facility blending permanent supportive housing, affordable housing units for extremely low-income residents and senior housing.
However, many attendees raised concerns about the timeline. In response, Flowers said the timeline could be adjusted.
“We’ll absolutely consider revising it,” Flowers said.
Mental Health and Hidden Homelessness
Participants stressed the need to connect housing solutions to mental health services.
Jannie Heath, a case manager at The Bridge Home, explained the burden of untreated mental illness among the unhoused.
“We need more inpatient mental health clinics,” Heath said. “It’s a huge part of why shelters are overburdened.”
Flowers agreed, noting that many people experiencing homelessness use substances as a survival mechanism.
“Stable housing must come first before addressing underlying mental health or addiction issues,” Flowers said.
Attendees also noted that many experiencing homelessness are hidden — families couch-surfing or living in cars — making it harder to count and serve them.
Funding, Power Structures, and Inclusion Concerns
Participants asked pointed questions about funding sustainability, especially given uncertain federal and state support.
“We must court private foundations and businesses,” Flowers said. “Innovation will be key.”
Others raised concerns about who would control new efforts, warning against sidelining small grassroots organizations and people with lived experience.
Central Iowa Shelter and Services (CISS) representatives emphasized that their collaboration with the Bridge Home would be community-driven.
“It’s never our intention to take over,” Amber Ramsdell, a CISS staff member, said. “We want to walk alongside the system.”
Next Steps
Officials urged participants to read the full report and complete a feedback form. The city and county plan to present findings to elected officials in the coming weeks.
“This is going to take thoughtful planning, but it’s going to require action,” Sandra King, director of external operations for Story County, said. “We appreciate your time, your expertise, and your willingness to stay engaged.”
“No matter where we sit in the community, we have everything we need — if we act together,” Goldbeck said in closing.
