Supervisors Discuss Homelessness Problem in Keokuk County

SIGOURNEY – During the Jan. 20 meeting of the Keokuk County Board of Supervisors, a group of concerned citizens talked to the board about problems with homelessness in Keokuk County. The concerned citizens stated that homelessness is increasing more and more and that there are no shelters or resources in Keokuk County. One woman stated that there are usually 16-20 people living on the streets during the summer, although that number goes down during the winter. She described the difficulties he had had with finding places for homeless people to spend the night. One concerned citizen stated that homelessness hides in plain sight, pointing out that a lot of people are “couch hoppers” who move from place to place, only staying for a few nights at a time before leaving, which drains the resources of their friends. She brought a woman she’d met who couldn’t leave a domestic abuse situation and ultimately ended up living homeless in the area.

One man stated that, because of the lack of resources, they’re always working in a panic to find emergency shelter for people when it gets cold. He described driving a homeless person all the way to Des Moines to find a shelter that was open. Another man stated that there is a shelter in Washington that they could try for long-term, but that it has stipulations that require homeless people apply to a certain number of jobs each week and require they attend bible study. A different citizen stated that the shelter in Washington only takes Washington residents. One man stated that homelessness is a public safety issue in Oskaloosa, explaining that he had seen homeless people beg police to arrest them, just to get out of the cold, and commit crimes, including assaulting him, when police refuse. Another citizen stated she had seen homeless people harm themselves to get taken to the emergency room to get out of the cold. She stated people are shocked when they learn how much homelessness there is in Keokuk County, and that homeless people have to rely on generosity, which at some point runs out.

Supervisor Mike Hadley stated that this was a national problem. He stated that there isn’t money in the budget to create a halfway house and that, if they did create one, it would fill up immediately. One citizen stated that most homeless people have other issues, like mental illness or disabilities, and cause problems. Hadley stated he wouldn’t hire a homeless person. A different citizen stated that mentality was part of the problem, and that homeless people are not given a chance to get off the street. Hadley stated that the county was limited on what it could afford to do and that funding would likely be cut soon for county services. A citizen stated that it is very difficult for people to apply for medicaid, especially when they have some sort of disability. A citizen stated that this problem wouldn’t go away and would eventually “jump up and slap us.” He noted that one food pantry in Sigourney goes through 10,000 lbs of food each month. He stated that, once people realized they had a responsibility to keep people safe and warm, some ideas might come up. He suggested maybe collaborating with Mahaska county, who have more resources.

Hadley stated they used to handle things differently. The citizen stated the U.S. used to put people in mental hospitals, but now put them in jails. Supervisor Daryl Wood stated that, if people got help sooner, they wouldn’t be where they are today. A citizen stated it was almost impossible to treat people with mental or intellectual disabilities in this area. One local deputy stated that it was a mental health problem, and that he had driven homeless people to Iowa City, to get them out of the community, because doing that was cheaper than throwing them in jail. He stated that being homeless is not a crime and that the sheriff’s office’s hands are tied. Wood stated he didn’t realize until recently there was this bad of a homelessness problem. A citizen stated they needed to work together to fix this issue. Another stated that helping with homelessness would take pressure off the sheriff’s office and hospital. Wood stated the problem was that, if they provided help for homelessness, it would attract more homeless people until they once again became overwhelmed.

Hadley stated he had a granddaughter in this situation and that he didn’t know what to do. He stated it was so easy to enable homelessness. He stated that he didn’t have answers, and that if he did, he would be able to answer his own family’s problems. He stated the problem began with state facilities being closed down, but that people wanted lowered taxes. A citizen stated that deinstitutionalization was supposed to put people out in communities, but that communities just don’t have the resources needed to help.