Sarah Bisland illustrates her point about the trauma of becoming homeless for participants of an immersion experience May 30 at Humility Homes and Services Shelter in Davenport. The shelter was one of several places participants toured for the experience.
By Barb Arland-Fye
The Catholic Messenger
DAVENPORT — Cold temperatures have hit the Quad-City region, which especially puts people at risk who sleep outside because they do not have homes. While Humility Homes and Services (HHSI) can accommodate some of them at its 88-bed emergency shelter in Davenport, the nonprofit agency is unable to offer an expanded winter emergency shelter as it did for the past five years.
HHSI’s emergency shelter was the only one in the Quad Cities to offer an expanded winter emergency shelter, stepping up to the plate six years ago in response to the need for one agency to provide that service.
“Providing winter emergency expanded capacity costs $250,000,” said Megan Brown-Saldana, chief development officer for HHSI. “Although we have the Sisters (the Congregation of the Humility of Mary) to help and donor dollars, we took a substantial loss each year at the expense of our housing programs,” she told The Catholic Messenger Dec. 2. HHSI “agreed to do it for five years because the need was so great.”
With expanded capacity, the HHSI emergency shelter served about 100 more people in the winter months from throughout the Quad Cities, Brown-Saldana said. Area police departments dropped off people needing shelter, she added. “We could only serve 100 more people because of fire code restrictions. The need for winter shelter and for affordable housing is exponentially greater than 100.”
“There’s a big difference between sheltering and housing. We know affordable housing is a solution (and the centerpiece of HHSI’s services). Sheltering is a response to crisis. This winter, there are at least 100 people who for sure won’t have a warm place to go,” she said.
Since HHSI announced in mid-October that it had concluded its five-year commitment to expand its capacity for a winter emergency shelter, some municipalities and agencies have approached HHSI with possible funding assistance to resume that service, Brown-Saldana said.
“HHSI was the natural partner in running the expanded winter emergency shelter due to being the only low-barrier, all-gender shelter for those 18 years older plus in the Quad Cities,” she said. A low-barrier shelter accepts all people unless they demonstrate harm to themselves or others.
Brown-Saldana emphasized that HHSI’s year-round shelter remains open and will continue to provide support to those who need it most. “HHSI will continue to assist individuals as the capacity in the shelter allows,” she said. She asked the public, “If you know someone in need of assistance, have them call HHSI at 563-322-8065. If it’s after hours and the individual has no transportation to travel to the shelter, the local police in the city of residence will be able to help transport the individual in need.”
Meanwhile, HHSI is hosting an outreach fair Dec. 13 outside its emergency shelter at 1016 W. 5th St. from 9 a.m. to noon. Community agencies will provide items such as sleeping bags, coats, care packages and information about getting help that people without housing need for their safety and wellbeing.
Among the community agencies participating in the outreach fair are Community Health Care Inc., Vera French Mental Health Center (based in Davenport), the Davenport and Bettendorf police departments and the City of Moline, Illinois, said Danny Teague, an HHSI outreach coordinator. He recommended bringing the resources to where people are at, Brown-Saldana said.
Teague anticipates that people without housing will come from throughout the Quad Cities to participate. “We’re doing the fair because people are in need,” he said. “They need help.”
About Humility Homes and Services:
Humility Homes and Services is on a mission to end homelessness in the greater Quad Cities area and its vision is to ensure “a home for every person.” The nonprofit agency provides housing opportunities and services to people experiencing homelessness, working with the community to ensure everyone has a safe, stable place to call home.
To learn more or to support HHSI, visit its website at www.humilityhomes.org.
