Michelle Plasschaert, YWCA Empowerment Center director, stands in front of a new housing project under construction in Clinton.
By Barb Arland-Fye
For The Catholic Messenger
(This is part one in a series.)
CLINTON — A young woman experiencing long-term homelessness reached out to the Housing Crisis Helpline of the YWCA Clinton’s Empowerment Center. After struggling for years with substance misuse compounded by ongoing mental health challenges, her stay at a shelter and a deepening personal faith led her to seek permanent, supportive housing, recalls Michelle Plasschaert, the Empowerment Center’s director.
A few months later, the young woman entered the Empowerment Center’s Permanent Supportive Housing program. “Since entering the program, her life has transformed. She has gained steady employment, earned two promotions, and is now serving as a supervisor. She obtained her driver’s license, purchased her own car, and attends church regularly. She attributes her success to her faith, the stability of having a home, and the support of an incredible team — helping her remain clean and sober for over three years,” Plasschaert said. “Her journey is a powerful testament to the Housing First approach: when given stability, support and dignity, people can overcome even the most persistent challenges and create a brighter, self-sufficient future.”
The YWCA Empowerment Center currently operates 12 scattered-site units of permanent supportive housing between Clinton and Jackson counties. In Fiscal Year 2025, the Empowerment Center served 324 individuals — including 110 children — through its comprehensive shelter, rapid-rehousing and homelessness prevention programs. The permanent supportive housing program served 20 households, 82% of which remained in permanent housing after completing their programs, said Shannon Sander-Welzien, executive director of YWCA Clinton.
This spring, more individuals and families will have the opportunity to work toward a brighter, self-sufficient future when the Empowerment Center opens “399 Housing.” This apartment building nearing completion on one of Clinton’s main thoroughfares will offer 24 units of permanent supportive housing for people who are homeless.
The Sisters of St. Francis of Clinton are among the ardent supporters of “399 Housing” — a $6.9 million project that overcame “not in my back yard” opposition through the impassioned and persuasive responses of its advocates. It is one of several initiatives in communities around the Diocese of Davenport responding to the intertwined issues of homelessness and affordable housing, which The Catholic Messenger will highlight in future issues.
“The sisters are excited to see the YWCA’s supportive housing project completed so more people can be assured of housing,” said Sister Jan Cebula, OSF, the Clinton Franciscans’ president. “We have been involved in a collaborative effort for years to address the increasing number of unhoused people in Clinton. We have publicly supported the Y’s project. The need for affordable housing exceeds the supply, which is a nationwide problem.”
Housing shortage
In its 2024 Needs Assessment Report, the Iowa Finance Authority stated that “An estimated 17,000 households will likely experience homelessness in 2025 … These alternative arrangements will include choices such as sleeping in a car, abandoned buildings, places not meant for prolonged habitation like outside camps, and, for some people, staying in unsafe housing arrangements that put people at risk for victimization, abuse, and human trafficking.”
“Housing is a huge, huge need,” said Rachel Albrecht, planning director for Community Action of Southeast Iowa. Exacerbating the need is an increase in housing costs and rent and a decrease in the availability of affordable homes, she said. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Archives states that “Affordable housing is generally defined as housing on which the occupant is paying no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities” (https://tinyurl.com/4c2bxysk).
The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) reports that Iowa has a shortage of 58,674 “rental homes affordable and available for extremely low-income renters,” who represent 25% of renter households. Many of these households are severely cost burdened, spending more than half of their income on housing.” The average income limit for a four-person extremely low-income household is $30,680 annually, NLIHC reports (https://nlihc.org/housing-needs-by-state/iowa).
Hope on the horizon
“Many people are unaware of how vulnerable their Clinton neighbors are if some emergency happens or if another benefit like Medicaid gets slashed,” Sister Cebula said. “We believe people in Clinton are concerned about their neighbors once they become aware of their needs. The supportive housing project will provide 24 people/families with decent, safe housing and stability.”
The apartment building, “399 Housing,” takes its name from its address: 399 6th Ave. S., to reflect respect for the people who will call it home, Plasschaert said. “The YWCA Empowerment Center believes that someone’s home should never mark that person as different. The new apartment building “is like any other, rooted in its neighborhood and defined by place, not by a program. The name blends in rather than stands out, reinforcing dignity, normalcy, and belonging,” she said. Housing is a foundation and “399 Housing represents permanence, stability, and the simple truth that everyone deserves a home that feels ordinary, respectful, and their own.”
All of the prospective tenants will be residents in Clinton and Jackson counties who are homeless, staying in places not meant for habitation, Plasschaert said. “People who experience long-term homelessness often face multiple, interconnected barriers, including chronic physical or mental health conditions, substance use disorders, trauma, limited income, missing documentation, and poor or nonexistent rental history.”
“These challenges compound over time,” she said, “making it extremely difficult to secure housing through traditional means. The YWCA Empowerment Center believes in the ‘Housing First’ philosophy. This is the belief that everyone deserves a safe, stable place to live — right away. It recognizes that it is nearly impossible to heal, recover, or plan for the future while living without a home. … From that foundation, people are better able to address health needs, rebuild trust, and move toward stability at their own pace.” Housing First “treats housing not as a reward to be earned, but as a basic human need — and a starting point for hope.”
Funding for ‘399 Housing’
In late November 2023, the Clinton City Council narrowly approved the sale of city-owned property in DeWitt Park to YWCA Clinton for the permanent supportive housing project. Council members voted by a larger margin to approve a $500,000 matching grant previously promised for the project.
The city council’s approval of the sale of the property by Nov. 30, 2023 was essential to YWCA Clinton receiving a $4.4 million grant from the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF), the largest such award in Iowa, to go toward the project. The Iowa Finance Authority, which administers the grant, had extended the deadline after the City Council rejected the YWCA’s first proposed site for the project because of community opposition.
(Other examples of affordable housing initiatives in the Diocese of Davenport include a multi-million-dollar project of the Quad Cities Housing Council and a home-building project in Ottumwa. Learn more about these projects in upcoming issues of The Catholic Messenger.)
399 Housing Services
The soon-to-open 399 Housing apartment building will provide permanent housing “paired with wraparound, person-centered support to promote long-term stability,” said Michelle Plasschaert, director of the YWCA Clinton Empowerment Center, which will operate 399 Housing. Residents will have access to on-site case management, referrals, and partnerships that address physical and mental health needs, recovery supports, and employment readiness. Low-barrier outreach services — such as showers, laundry, and basic necessities — will help meet immediate needs while building trust and connection.” These supports “ensure housing is a foundation for dignity, wellness, and opportunity.”
Clinton Franciscans respond to need
Clinton has a limited supply of emergency shelters — the men’s shelter at the ASAC King House, the women’s shelter at High Tower Place, the Domestic Violence Shelter at Family Resources, and the Victory Center. In addition, organizations such as the YWCA Clinton Empowerment Center provide vouchers for emergency, temporary stays in hotels.
The Sisters of St. Francis established the Clinton Area Shelter/Housing Fund at the River Bluff Community Foundation to assist. “This enables agencies to assist people with hotel vouchers,” said Sister Jan Cebula, president of the Sisters of St. Francis. Donors may contact the foundation (https://dbqfoundation. org/affiliates/rbcf) to donate.
“We believe housing is a basic human right,” Sister Cebula said. The Sisters of St. Francis have a corporate stand supporting basic human rights. We contribute to agencies that assist people with those and we advocate for legislation relating to housing, food, health care and other basics,” Sister Cebula said.