DES MOINES, Iowa — The city of Des Moines is planning to hire its first Homelessness Policy Administrator to take a hands-on approach to get more people the help they need.
Homelessness has been a big topic in the metro in the last several weeks. Local business leaders spoke to Des Moines City Council in September about their concerns surrounding the city's homeless population. And in early October, the city cleared out a homeless camp located just off Mulberry Street.
But for many advocates, that isn't addressing the real issue.
"That's not a solution. That's a reaction. So we want to get to a solution where we can work with all the service providers, coordinate efforts to help people get out of that situation," said SuAnn Donovan, Deputy Director of Neighborhood Services for the city of Des Moines.
That's one of the reasons the city is looking to recruit some additional help.
According to the official job posting, the role is intended to help give the city a "liaison to a broad network of organizations, influencers, and funding sources related to homelessness."
"To find all the resources, bring them together, and try and do an overarching policy and procedure for how we help people in a more systematic manner than we are right now," Donovan said.
One of the biggest issues Des Moines is still working to tackle: finding ways to help those who are chronically homeless.
A point-in-time survey conducted by the Institute for Community Alliances and Homeward Iowa in January 2022 found a total of 606 individuals experiencing homelessness on one night. Among them, 166 were considered chronically homeless. That means they've been homeless for a year or more, or have experienced at least four episodes of homelessness in the last three years.
"They don't feel like they have a method to get out of that situation. How can we give resources to them? How can we build the trust, and get them the help they need to have a more stable life experience?" Donovan said.
The application for the Homelessness Policy Administrator position closes on Thursday, Nov. 10 at 4 p.m.