Iowa Legal Aid
Grant Amount Awarded: $10,000
In 2024, housing cases comprised nearly half of our total closed cases (47%). Eviction is still at crisis levels across the state and comprises 80% of our housing cases. High housing costs combined with the end of the pandemic-era housing support have devastated thousands of low-income Iowans who can’t make their rent or mortgage payments.
Iowa Legal Aid (ILA) seeks funding to help support our statewide Housing Stability Project, which provides legal assistance to people throughout Iowa.
Additionally, this project encompasses our Eviction Diversion program, which is established in six counties with the largest population centers in Iowa (Polk, Black Hawk, Johnson, Linn, Pottawattamie, Scott). These counties are the site of 71% of the state’s evictions. We offer our services to all tenants at the county courthouse just prior to their eviction hearing. Some tenants learn about their legal rights and receive step-by-step instructions adequate to preserve their housing. Others are provided full representation at their eviction hearing.
Iowa Legal Aid anticipates helping approximately 6,400 clients statewide with their housing issues. This will impact approximately 14,400 household members, including more than 5,500 children. Most of our clients live at or below 125% of the federal poverty level and are disproportionately female (70%), people of color (28%), or have a disability (36%).
Funds will be used to help Iowa Legal Aid provide free legal services to low-income Iowans who have housing instability. Our legal staff will provide legal advice and ensure that all clients receive an understanding of their rights under Iowa law. In some cases, this is all that clients need to be able to resolve their problems on their own. Our attorneys will negotiate with third parties such as landlords and/or their legal counsel to resolve clients’ issues. When needed, we provide full representation in court or administrative agencies. We also connect clients to agencies and organizations that provide needed non-legal wrap-around community support.