On any given night during the winter, Motl estimates there are probably 100 people without a home and on the streets throughout the county.

“The biggest thing is finding affordable housing throughout this county,” Motl said. “I cover 12 counties and my housing issue is the same in all 12 counties. People deserve to live in a decent home.”

On Jan. 29, Motl and Ann Davidson, a member of the board of directors for the Lotus Community Project, conducted a Point-in-Time count in Fort Dodge. The goal of Point-in-Time is to get an idea of how many people in the area are unsheltered. The results from that study will be announced in the spring and is used to determine state funding for local agencies that help with homelessness.

A sheltered count was conducted by area human service agencies.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
The DART bus shelter in downtown has handles attached to the bench inside, which would keep an individual from lying down comfortably. Devices like this are frequently used across the country to attempt to keep the homeless from congregating for long periods of time.

In terms of housing, Motl said that while new housing developments being built in the community are a positive, a vast majority of those homes are simply not affordable for the average person.

“We have built housing here in Webster County, but we are building housing that can support people making $18 to $20 an hour,” Motl said. “People need to be able to move into something decent. They shouldn’t have to live in substandard housing because they are poor.”

Motl, a former county supervisor, explained that she understands the bind that contractors find themselves in.

“I understand it’s not cheap,” she said. “It’s not cheap for contractors to build affordable housing. The contractors are willing to do it, but they have to have incentives or they make no money.”

The reasons for homelessness can vary. It can include factors like mental illness and substance abuse. But it can also result from the loss of a job.

Motl said other issues can be easier resolved once someone has a consistent and affordable place to live to take care of themselves.

“Once you get people into housing everything else follows,” Motl said. “Then we will work with you on the other things. If you need to update your resume, we will walk you through those other needs. But you can’t walk through those other needs if you don’t have a place to take care of yourself. And trust me that works. I’ve done it. Where we have found housing, we continue to work at those things. Then five years later they are self-sufficient.”

Davidson said homelessness is an economic issue.

“If you are only making 20 to 30 percent of the median income, if you are only getting 700 or 800 dollars a month, you can figure out what the problem is,” Davidson said. “I’ve heard many people say, ‘if they would just get a job it would be OK.’ In some instances that might be true. But jobs aren’t all that easy to find either. Not if you don’t have your GED or other skills required.”

Davidson added that people who struggle with mental illness and substance abuse often don’t receive the help they need.

“Unfortunately the state of Iowa isn’t doing a very good job of taking care of those folks,” Davidson said.

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced in her Condition of the State that she is proposing a 1-cent increase in state sales tax to help pay for additional mental health funding.

According to Davidson, one misconception about people who are homeless is that they are lazy.

“Some of these people are hard workers,” Davidson said. “We can all be a paycheck away from being homeless. That’s what I want people to understand.”

The cost of child care is another factor.

“If your day care provider charges more than you are making an hour that puts you in the hole right away,” Davidson said.

Davidson and Motl both agree that wages are simply too low.

“There are some companies that pay more than the minimum wage, but some don’t,” Davidson said. “And that’s not going to pay your gas and lights.”

When Motl and Davidson approach someone who they believe is unsheltered, they first ask that person if they have a place to stay.

Motl then asks them what their needs are.

“We will ask if they have any disabilities and then we refer them to agencies that can help them,” Motl said. “A lot of them I ask to come see me at Upper Des Moines so I could start assisting them and evaluating their needs. Sadly most of them did not take us up on that offer. Hopefully we will hear back from some of them.”

Davidson, who serves on the state board of the Iowa Homeless Coalition, fears that homelessness will become more common.

“It’s a chronic problem that’s only going to get worse and worse,” Davidson said.

Motl and Davidson will be doing another Point-in-Time count in the summer. They are seeking volunteers to help with the count. For more information, contact Kim Motl with Upper Des Moines Opportunity by calling 576-7774.