New fund supports emergency shelter for Clinton residents
The affordable housing shortage in our region continues, and for people in Clinton, the issue is dire. At any time of year, 100 to 200 people are in line for access to local housing programs. Many of these people have jobs and children, but no place to sleep at night.
That’s why the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, have created the Clinton Area Housing/Shelter Support Fund to support emergency sheltering in the Clinton area. Some of the funds are available to address the crisis immediately. An endowment will continue to grow over time, providing a sustainable and reliable source of funding for emergency housing and shelter needs.
The Sisters have recognized homelessness as a challenge for Clinton for more than a decade. In 2020, the challenge grew exponentially. YWCA Clinton and Information Referral and Assistance Services (IRAS) together applied for pandemic relief funding with the county’s assistance. From October 2020 to May 2023, IRAS provided shelter at local hotels for 5,177 nights, for a total cost of $263,575. The YWCA sheltered an additional 5,505 nights for individuals and families experiencing homelessness during that same time period.
Pandemic funding ended in May 2023, but the need continued to grow.
“YWCA Clinton is currently building a Supportive Housing facility in which we had hoped to include an Emergency Shelter and had an anonymous donor who would fund the construction of that shelter,” says Shannon Sander-Welzein, executive director. “Due to pushback from the community on locations, we decided to not include emergency shelter as part of the project.”
This fierce community opposition to the shelter stirred the Sisters to action. The Clinton County Housing Coalition, with strong leadership from the Sisters and IRAS, has continued to help address emergency shelter needs, and this fund was created out of those efforts.
Emergency sheltering is a temporary safe place that provides immediate housing and essential services to individuals or families in crisis, to allow them time to figure out where they will go and what the next steps are to stabilize their current situation.
Almost all of the people being sheltered are Clinton natives.
“People who find themselves without shelter are not bad and do not wish to be homeless. It is not easy to find employment when you don’t have a place to sleep and shower, or do not have a working phone number,” says Regan Michaelson, IRAS executive director. “When living paycheck-to-paycheck or on a fixed income, it is easy to fall behind. If you miss work because your child was sick or your car broke down, these things can cause a family to lose their housing quickly.”
Sister Jan Cebula recognizes that homelessness is a topic that can sow division within the community. “People don’t understand the systemic nature of the housing shortage and have stereotypical attitudes toward those in need,” she explains. “We are talking about people from the Clinton area needing our help. If one of our relatives found themselves in this situation, we would help them out and hope others would also. Housing is a basic human need and right.”
Those who feel called to help provide emergency shelter can make a gift to the Clinton Area Housing Shelter Support Fund on May 21 at greatgiveday.org. Gifts go farther on Great Give Day as participating organizations leverage prize dollars and local matches. Gifts can also be made offline and year-round by reaching out to Alethea Cahoy, executive director of the River Bluff Community Foundation, at 563.321.0317 or rbcf@dbqfoundation.org.
“If you want to directly impact people in our community who are experiencing one of the most difficult times in their lives, give to this fund. Provide safety, help, dignity and hope to someone at their lowest point,” says Sander-Welzein.“Give, knowing you have provided someone with compassion and an opportunity to start on a path to change their lives.”
The River Bluff Community Foundation offers many opportunities to improve quality of life by addressing an array of local issues. To learn more about how you can establish a fund or make a gift that impacts your community, contact Cahoy at 563-321-0317.