Over the last year, over 600 people of all ages and backgrounds have relied on the Iowa City Shelter House. The Shelter House is a non-profit organization that has provided housing and support since 1983.
Since opening, the shelter has increased its capacity from 29 to 70 sleeping spaces. Along with emergency shelters, they offer programs such as rapid rehousing, which provides employment help, mental health recovery services and educational opportunities.
Chrissy Cangelli (she/her) has been Executive Director since 1998. In her 27 years in this role, the shelter has added new programs and created over 90 permanent staff positions.
“We’ve had significant growth in the last five or six years. In 1998, we had 3.75 full-time staff, including myself, and now we have 93,” Cangelli said. “Something important to us is that about a third of our employees have experienced homelessness; they bring that sensitivity and that knowledge of the experience to the work and to our mission.”
Christine Hayes, Director of Development and Communications at the Shelter House, has an active role in spreading the mission statement to the community.
“Through shelter and housing, advocacy and supportive services, our mission is to prevent and end homelessness in our community,” Hayes said.
The Shelter House also has the Fairweather Lodge, opened in 2011, a community living model intended for individuals who have struggled with severe mental illnesses. At the lodge, individuals work together to develop communication, housekeeping and personal health skills. This training can last three to six months, and due to the peer-driven experience, individuals can find permanent shelter more easily.
Along with the emergency shelter beds and the Fairweather Lodge, the Shelter House also offers housing-first models, including Cross Park Place and the 501 Project. The primary goal of these buildings is to find permanent housing and help people experiencing homelessness.
“[We opened] Park Place in January of 2019 and we opened 501 in June of 2022. There are 24 units across Park and 36 units at 501, and we followed a housing first model to open up both of those,” Cangelli said.
Another program the Shelter House offers is the Veterans Grant and Per Diem (GPD). With 11 beds, the main goal of the GPD is to find veterans permanent housing through substance abuse services, mental health recovery and healthcare.
Donations and volunteerism support the Shelter House in advancing its mission to prevent and end homelessness in our community. If interested in giving, visit Shelter House: Ways to Give.
