Meeting Public Comments

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SSB 1195

A bill for an act relating to homelessness including unauthorized use of public land, sanctioned camping, drug-free homeless service zones, and funding for homeless services, and providing penalties.

Agenda

Subcommittee members: Westrich-CH, Sires, Weiner

Date: Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Time: 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM

Location: Senate Lounge

Comments Submitted:

The purpose of comments is to provide information to members of the subcommittee.

Names and comments are public records. Remaining information is considered a confidential record.

03-04-2025

Abigail Bankes

This bill should not go forward. It is dangerous, inhumane, and lacks basic understanding of the administration of services that benefit unhoused individuals. It is not a crime to be homeless. There are enough issues with the way our unhoused neighbors are treated here in Iowa do not criminalize them further. Use your power to invest in affordable housing, accessible healthcare, and public education. THAT is how you address homelessness.

03-04-2025

Ben Lynch [Ben Lynch Law]

The criminalization of homelessness does not solve the root issues of poverty, mental health, housing, substance abuse, etc. Punishing people when they're at their lowest is inhumane, cruel, and pointless. Please vote NO.

03-04-2025

Jenna Schuck

Vote NO on this bill. As a service provider to people experiencing homelessness I can tell you first hand this is not helpful legislation. This bill is a wolf in sheep's clothing targeting some of our most vulnerable residents and providers who already bear a large burden. This does not increase resources for people experiencing homelessness or the systems that serve them. It will intentionally make service provision more difficult resulting in worse outcomes for all systems that interact with unhoused folks including but not limited to the homeless crisis response system, hospital/health care systems, and the criminal justice system which are all overburdened as is. Criminalization perpetuates the likelihood of homelessness and system interaction voting yes on this bill would mean voting yes on solidifying and expanding the difficulties communities are already facing in Iowa as a result of increased homelessness due to lack of affordable housing, housing protections, and (mental) health care, etc. Any future homeless legislation should include provisions to address the root causes need for affordable housing as the #1.

03-04-2025

Briar Conrey

Vote no on this bill. Homelessness is not a crime. Instead of attacking vulnerable populations again and again perhaps it may be more beneficial to support and listen to what your community asks of you instead of conforming to out of state think tanks. Address housing, healthcare, and education first.

03-04-2025

Marissa Jennings

This cruel bill absolutely should not go through. Instead of criminalizing people who are struggling, you should be trying to find solutions to help them. The fact that there are unhoused people is a societal failure in a country where there are more than enough resources for everyone. Most people are no more than a paycheck or two away from homelessness, so this bill would impact countless Iowans now and in the future. Vote NO on this inhumanity. We want you to use our tax dollars to legislate solutions, not continuous punishment and suffering for our friends and neighbors. Enough of this nonsense.

03-04-2025

Tyler Sharkey

Vote NO on this bill. It's beyond cruel to criminalize homelessness and it simply isn't the solution to ending it. If you don't want homeless people around then house them. Give them shelter. A one bedroom apartment. It's that simple. Do the right thing and vote NO on this inhumane bill.

03-04-2025

Giada Morresi

The vague language of this bill makes it such that any service provider would be criminalized for helping someone taking a prescribed controlled substance such as medication for ADHD or methadone, which is used to treat opioid dependency. This bill is cruel and further criminalizes homelessness, which is the wrong direction to place attention and government action. We need HOUSING FIRST policies that build truly affordable housing and provides a path for homeless individuals and families to have a safe place to live. The public camps that this bill calls for are not a solution. Housing is a solution. Do not further criminalize homelessness in Iowa.

03-04-2025

Jo Arendt

VOTE NO. Folks wouldn't be forced out onto the streets if the system weren't attacking them and tricking them at every turn. Solve and prevent homelessness by taking care of your constituents instead of criminalizing them for situations the government has forced them into. VOTE NO.

03-04-2025

Chad Brewbaker [Polk GOP]

This bill is shameful. Weiner wants it for fundraising don't give into her USAID patronage network antics.In 1916 Berkeley passed a law called "singlefamily zoning" to discriminate against people of color. Scrap this bill and replace it with a law making it a crime for a city official to discriminate against different families sharing housing. One house per family is a luxury, not a right. That is how you lower insane housing costs in Iowa.

03-04-2025

Claire Anderson

VOTE NO ON SSB1195. Existing in public space must not be criminalized. I believe that housingfirst policies are the best way to reduce homelessness and that all people are deserving of care and support, even if they are not sober. Many of our local service providers are doing good, important work and want to see their resources expanded, not limited. Housing is becoming increasingly inaccessible, even for people who are fully employed we cannot help billionaires enact laws that punish people for trying to survive. This is cruel and inhumane and Iowa can and must do better.

03-04-2025

Maggie Canero

What are you doing? Why are you choosing to spend your time, our tax dollars, and your one existence trying to make life harder for people who are already dealing with hardship? Is this the legacy you want? You want your name on legislation that sends homeless people to what are effectively concentration camps? The solution to homelessness is housing. I can't believe that needs to be spelled out for people. But I suppose you just want more of that sweet, sweet prison labor, right? Or, to be more accurate, slavery. Is this how you believe you will help Iowans and protect people? Or is this how you intend to increase the profit margins for real estate developers who are trying to gentrify and colonize? It is clear where your loyalties lie and it is absolutely not with Iowans. You are actively trying to drive people out of this state so you can subject anyone who remains to your cruel and unusual punishment. It is never too late to correct course and make amends. If anyone who supports this bill has the audacity to call themselves Christian then I highly suggest they consult clergy about what Jesus said about helping the poor. Are any of you planning on washing any feet, or is it just straight to the crucifix for those you deem inferior?

03-04-2025

Michael Powers

This bill bring more violence to our communities, homeless people should not be criminalized for being a victim of a system that doesn't guarantee them housing. The republicans in this state are continuing to show how little they care for anyone that isn't white, straight, and rich.

03-04-2025

Keegan Flaherty

Vote NO on this bill. This bill does not get to the root cause of homelessness and does nothing to help find folks affordable housing or care they need. It is cruel and only increases barriers for individuals in distress rather than actually seeking to provide help. Unhoused people are still our neighbors and they deserve better.

03-04-2025

Justin Scott

Forcing homeless people into the criminal justice system for existing isnt just cruelits cartoon villain levels of evil. Under this garbage bill, the most vulnerable Iowans get harsher penalties for drug possession near shelters, because apparently, the goal is to punish people for needing help. Criminalizing sleeping in a car or having nowhere to go wont solve homelessnessit just makes life even harder for those already struggling. Knowing LGBTQ youth are disproportionately homeless, the sponsors of this bill are fine with targeting them, too. Its especially disgusting that they want to force shelter workers to snitch or face criminal charges themselves, turning safe spaces into surveillance zones. Only the most heartless, powerhungry ghouls could look at people in crisis and decide that more fines and jail time are the solution. We should be investing in real solutionshousing, mental health care, and addiction treatmentnot whatever dystopian nonsense this is. Any legislator supporting this bill deserves to be publicly shamed for their cruelty and utter incompetence. Gutless politicians love performative cruelty, but criminalization doesnt workit just creates more suffering, which seems to be the real goal here. Opposing this bill isnt just about policyits about stopping the sociopaths running Iowas government from making life even worse for people in need. Passing SSB 1195 would be a disgrace, and every legislator backing it should be remembered for their shameless, inhumane leadership failures.

03-04-2025

Riley Dolphin

VOTE NO on this bill! Criminalizing homelessness does not solve the problemit only worsens it. Many individuals experiencing homelessness face job loss, unaffordable housing, mental health challenges, or addiction. Instead of offering resources, this bill punishes them for their circumstances, which is both ineffective and inhumane.This bill merely displaces people without addressing the root causes. I suggest investing more in proven solutions like housingfirst programs, expanded shelter services, rental assistance, and mental health care. This current approach punishes the most vulnerable. True community improvement comes from support, not criminalization.

03-04-2025

Grace Officer

VOTE NO. This is a disgusting bill, and frankly a waste of time. If you think homelessness is an issue in our state, then do something PRODUCTIVE about it. Criminalizing people and putting them in jail isnt going to do anything. They arent going to be released from jail and magically have stable housing. Yes, homelessness should be addressed in our state. But through more resources, not through hate. And there is also nothing wrong with using controlled substances to manage a health concern, and it is much more common than you would think. If people are using them as medically directed, there is no reason they should not be given access to necessary treatment. And since so many people love to make excuses on why these medications arent necessary , I advise you to take a look at how much money our entire country losses each year due to loss of productivity related to mental health concerns. If you vote yes, you are making it impossible for Iowans to live. And live happily.

03-04-2025

Whitney Free

VOTE NO to SSB 1195. The bill states that if someone refuses the services or shelter offered upon notice of violation, they commit a simple misdemeanor. That means a fine of $105$855 (which they likely do not have) and up to 30 days in jail. Adding to the financial hardships and criminal records of folks experiencing homelessness only creates more hurdles to their ability to reintegrate, which is the opposite of what we should be doing.Services and shelter are supposed to be offered first, but recent history shows that is not happening consistently and we have a serious shortage of shelter and services in this state. Anyone supporting this bill is either ignorant to this situation or simply does not care about these human beings. What happened to "Freedom to Flourish"?Even if we had shelter capacity, there are many reasons a person experiencing homelessness may turn it down. Perhaps they have a beloved pet that is not allowed in the shelter, or perhaps they have belongings that the shelter does not have room to store and so they would have to give up everything they have. Perhaps it would mean they cannot take the medications they need. Many shelters are also underfunded and understaffed, and therefore not as safe or helpful as they could be.Furthermore, LGBTQ people disproportionately experience homelessness here in Iowa, which is even more likely now due to last week's heinous removal of their protections in the state's civil rights act. So this bill serves as another way to cause further harm to this community.Instead of pushing cruel legislation like this, why don't you work on improving the services and shelter the bill refers to? That is far more likely to solve or reduce the issue than fines and jail time.It's time to use your brains and your hearts and quit groveling to Kim, Trump, etc. or putting your own personal gains above your constituents.

03-04-2025

Olivia Houchins-McCallum

Vote no on SSB1195. Homeless people are not a problem to be fixed. They are human beings. They cannot be legislated away. Studies tell us that access to housing is what helps with homelessness. Not criminalization of drugs or camping or funding of the police. This bill is unclear in its goals and will do nothing to help people find housing. Residents in need of any resources, from housing to food, would not benefit from programs being restricted further by the state. This criminalization and discrimination against people coming on hard times is clearly a classist effort to erase and ignore the violent poverty allowed by our governmentnot an effort to help those in need. Vote no.

03-04-2025

James Hefel

I urge you to vote NO on this bill. My fiance works in public service helping disabled and unhoused folks find resources for their problems and to try to help them get to their feet. This bill would severely curb her organization's ability to do their jobs and their client base period. This bill cannot be allowed to go forward.

03-04-2025

Jeremy Hoffmann

Vote NO on SSB 1195. Criminalizing those of us in the worst circumstances makes nothing better, it only leads to putting people in "Police Encampments". Please spend time and effort to lift people out of poverty instead of punishment. I believe Christianity teaches "That which you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me." If you are truly living Christian values, vote NO.

03-04-2025

Lyle Thomas

Hello,I oppose this bill and encourage you to vote no on it. This is an inhumane way to treat people. The people of our state who dont have homes deserve better than this. People deserve real care and support not criminalization and harassment.

03-04-2025

Clarissa Angeroth Franks

While I appreciate that this bill seeks to reduce homelessness, this bill actually limits the ways publiclyfunded service providers and local governments can address this problem. For example, subsection 7.a.(2) requires approved camping areas be assigned to specific individuals or families. Local governments and entities would need to spend a large amount of time on making sure certain people were in their designated areas instead of using that time to provide or connect individuals to services. Local taxpayers deserve a system that makes the most with their dollars and uses public employee time wisely. This bill prevents that. Please vote NO on SSB 1195 and instead support bills that allow public entities to be more flexible in their efforts to reduce homelessness, not less flexible.

03-04-2025

Brittany Smith

Vote no on this bill, those experiencing homelessness are not criminals. We should be focusing on bills that support housing first as a way to support our unhoused communities. Putting our time and money to give these people the care and compassion that every person deserves.

03-04-2025

Grace Culbertson

Please vote NO. It is inhumane to not only strip someone of their camp, but then to also make it even more difficult for them to receive housing or employment in the future. This bill is only hurting vulnerable Iowans, which in turn hurts all Iowans. Please do the right thing and the humane thing by voting NO.

03-04-2025

Dr. William Howard

I implore you to vote no on this Bill. The previous actions of this legislature have turned me from a proud Iowan to an embarrassed one. This legislation is meanspirited and opposed to any religious concept of love for the struggling among us. Recognize that the current tide of cruelty in legislation will change, and those gleefully jumping on board now will be eventually disdained for being on the wrong side of history (and humanity)!

03-04-2025

Kara Kelso [The Slow Down Coffee Co. ]

Please vote NO on this bill. We believe that housingfirst policies are the best way to reduce homelessness. We believe that all people are deserving of care and support, even if they are not sober. We believe that many of our local service providers are doing good, important work and want to see their resources expanded, not limited. Do not stop this! Make Iowa the caring place it claims to be.

03-04-2025

Luke Bonner

Vote No on this bill. This bill will criminalize homelessness and hurt an already vulnerable population. Housing first policies are the best way to reduce homelessness and help all people in the community. Vote no against this bill which seeks cruelty when compassion would more than suffice.

03-04-2025

Becca Mallon

Please vote no on SSB 1195, a cruel and senseless bill. Criminalization is not the answer for Iowa. We must pursue a housingfirst approach, since all people deserve care and support. This bill will decrease the likelihood of unhoused people obtaining the care and support they need. Cicero Action has absolutely no business in Iowa's government, and it would be an absolute disgrace to allow their lobbying efforts to harm our unhoused neighbors.

03-04-2025

Natasha C

There is no reason to criminalize homelessness. If you are so concerned about it, start thinking better about people. There is plenty of places where the city could construct places where a homeless person could go for zero funds and stay the night if not longer. Make a parking area so people who are living out of their cars could go and park safely. Tiny homes. All of these things could be possible instead of making a police camp or putting these people in jail. They do not need jail. They need help.

03-04-2025

Anne Wilmoth

I am pleased to see the state legislature turning their attention to the homelessness crisis in our state. However, this inhumane bill is exactly the wrong way to address it. I work in an urban public building that is often utilized as a defacto daytime shelter for those experiencing homelessness. Occasionally, individuals who are also experiencing homelessness struggle with mental health or substance use related issues that result in behaviors that make others uncomfortable or are distressing to witness. (Occasionally, housed individuals also struggle with these issues and resulting behaviors.) It's clear that this bill seeks to simply get homeless community members out of sight and out of mind because their existence makes people uncomfortable, by criminalizing them, dumping them in governmentsanctioned encampments (?), and making it harder for those who work with homeless populations to do their jobs. We need solutions that provide humane and compassionate, real and significant support for the root causes of homelessness, things like expanded shelter funding and systems, intensive mental health treatment and ongoing support options, affordable and supported housing options, intensive substance use treatment and ongoing support options, and more. Not more criminal punishment and marginalization. And I don't know who you think is going to provide security, sanitation, and 24/7 oversight to these weird outdoor yearround encampments you're envisioning, the police? This is not a solution to a massive, complex, multifaceted problem, it just creates a new one for cities and communities. Please try again with humility and compassion.

03-04-2025

Hector Pagan

Its a shame that this bill was introduced by an out of state, billionaire backed think tank with the intention of fast tracking it on a funnel week and that some of our elected officials are going along with it. The way it is written shows a lack of understanding of the complex challenges of homelessness. Division 3 doesnt even account for use of prescription drugs. Focusing on criminalization instead of support will definitely increase barriers, waste public funds on enforcement instead of solutions and worsen the issues it claims is trying to fix. Approaches like Housing First demonstrate that stable housing coupled with supportive services is the most effective way to improve conditions. I urge every member to vote against this bill and instead focus on proven supportive solutions.

03-04-2025

K Olsen

This bill is deplorable. Homeless people should not be criminalized for simply existing in public. Why not spend your time finding solutions? Ways to cap or lower rent? Expanding shelters? You people who consider yourself Christians need to reflect on Matthew 25:4045 40 The King will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.41 Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.44 They also will answer, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?45 He will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.

03-04-2025

KATHLEEN WINTER [- Select -]

Is cruelty, bullying, and science denial the only point of this legislative session? How about we go with the old, do unto others and you would have them do unto you. How about we don't make it crime to be homeless, remove anyone's civil rights protections, ban book, criminalize vaccines etc., etc., etc. Read this and stop and think about what you are doing? It is just complete lunacy.

03-04-2025

Honora Nidey

I urge you to vote NO on SSB 1195. This bill does not offer real solutions to Iowas homelessness crisis. Instead, it focuses on punishment rather than support, making it harder for individuals to access critical services. SSB 1195 is extremely concerning as it criminalizes SURVIVAL, restricts vital services, undermines local efforts, and will cost taxpayers MORE in the long run. Criminalizing homelessness will lead to higher costs in law enforcement, healthcare, and incarceration. The alternative is investing in longterm housing solutions. We need to focus on expanded mental health resources and support for those in need. Vote NO on SSB 1195 and support policies that address this issue with dignity, empathy, and evidence based solutions.

03-04-2025

Sarah Shannon

Vote NO. This cant be real. We need MORE services to help the homeless, not criminalize and further flood our corrections system beyond the full capacity we are already currently at. We have to address the root issues to homelessness or there will be no progress. We need more services to help these individuals.

03-04-2025

Hailey Franzen

The criminalization of homelessness, will not solve homelessness. Programs in our state have piloted and held housing first programs successfully over the last 7 years. The housing first models ensures that individuals with disabilities (including substance use disorders) and chronic homelessness status are able to receive housing and optin social and medical services. Providing people in these categories homes lowers the public tax dollar burden and increases the wellbeing of individuals housed by lowering their jail stays, emergency room visits, and court hearings for homelessness charges, or those charges that would be avoided if individuals had homes. Communities benefit from housing first programs and this proposal will harm both individuals experiencing homelessness and the providers on the streets building relationships to get folks housed. By making it a crime to sleep outside in public city areas, state wide, we will make it harder for individuals to be housed. Shelters are already at max capacity year round, and following discharges from jail or emergency rooms, folks without housing will again be on the streets to repeat the cycle. If they pick up extra charges as a result, it will make it harder to pass background checks for standard housing, which will ensure folks cannot exit street level homelessness. Rather than criminalizing homelessness, work with and fund social workers who will do the ground level work in our state to end homelessness

03-04-2025

Thad Abrams

This bill represents archaic ideas that circulated in the state legislation decades ago. It is antithetical to the practice of being a good and decent human being. I am a practicing physician in the Iowa City/CR corridor and can say with absolute certainty passing such a bill will place our law enforcement officers in compromising positions by either enforcing the law and their sworn duty duty or to compromise their moral and ethical compass. Hospitals and jails will become the de facto shelters of unhoused individuals, which is already happening. I can attest that 1/5 patients in the hospital systems delivering psychiatric care have experienced a recent episode of being unhoused. Penalizing owner/operators of low barrier shelters will only further divide our systems, reduce shelter services (eg., the solution for public camping) thus leading to a circular solution of jails or hospitals. If the legislature would like to rezone our public sectors, pass funding measures to make hospitals bigger with housing services and train law enforcement and other first responders in rapid rehousing , trauma informed practices there would be no need for bills like this to exist. The lack of understanding of the complexity of the problem on the part of the originators of this bill is astounding. Criminalizing homelessness and trying to make the argument that drug use is fundamentally tied to the housing problem reflects a political ideology that has existed since the 1970's, time and time again factual evidence and science has refuted that the problem with housing is tied to drug use. The authors of this bill should come visit the shelters that have had success in housing people (even those with drug use) before authoring further legislation. The time spent on this bill would be far better served actually surveying hospital systems for ways to reduce the impact of being unhoused on health though care coordination and system integration. Criminalization and removal of funding for shelters will only exacerbate the intended effect. Housing problems require housing solutions not jails or hospitals.

03-04-2025

Jessica Duling

VOTE NO on this bill that effectively criminalizes homelessness. I trust service providers working with individual cities to better regulate and make policies concerning homelessness. We should be doing as much as we can to get people into housing instead of further punishing them for their circumstances. This bill is against who we are as Iowans. I grew up learning that we take care of oneanother. This bill is cruel and against what Iowa stands for.

03-04-2025

Katie Meyer

VOTE NO TO THIS BILL. Making homelessness a crime is the last possible thing to help this problem in our city. Allocating funds to support and help people out of these scenarios long term is a much better solution. I am beyond disappointed in the city of Des moines' treatment of the unhoused and other vulnerable communities. I hope you can stand up for what is right, instead of trying to erase populations that are considered "unsightly" to upper class.I am less proud of this state I was born in every day. Sincerely,Katie Meyer

03-04-2025

Angie Arthur

Vote NO on SSB1195. This legislation, as written, creates a mandate for local governments to designate encampments while providing no funding to do so. That would be costly and could drive up property taxes. The legislation creates enhanced drug crime penalties for activities that are already illegal. It labels all areas where unhoused people receive services as Drug Free Homeless Service Zones, stigmatizing those who need help while imposing supercharged penalties on program participants as well as homeless programs and staff themselves if violations occur.Finally, the bill creates new reporting requirements that duplicate existing practices for many organizations, while discouraging faithbased groups, community organizations, and smaller groups from serving unhoused people. Iowa must not create a revolving door between prison and the street for people who need housing. Arresting and jailing homeless people under laws that criminalize homelessness often cost 23 times the cost of housing and services according to the Seattle University School of Law and several studies.

03-04-2025

Quanda Hood

I strongly oppose SSB 1195, which cruelly penalizes individuals experiencing homelessness and undermines their dignity. As a Unitarian Universalist, I believe in the inherent worth of every person and the call to love and support the marginalized, as emphasized in the teachings of Jesus. This bill contradicts the values of compassion and justice that define us as Americans, and it is our responsibility to pursue policies that uplift those in need rather than criminalize their existence. Let us strive to be a nation that embodies empathy and justice for all.

03-04-2025

Katie Smith

Please vote no, I strongly oppose this bill. The language in this is dangerous and vague criminalizing people and those trying to help will only make this situation worse. This does nothing to address the underlying contributing factors to homeless. This coming at a time when other safety net services, systems, and agencies are being cut talk about kicking people while theyre down. Again is cruel and unnecessary legislation. Vote no

03-04-2025

Marlene Franzen

This bill is a punishment not a solution. It will drive up crime. At what point has Iowa decided that making an encampment, where people are registered like criminals is the best coarse of action? That statement alone in this bill is scary! I believe that's what happened when Hitler moved people to concentration camps and tattooed their arms for identification purposes. This is a slippery slope. I have lived in Iowa my entire life and never thought I would see the rights of other human beings being tossed aside as if they were nothing. What group are they going after next?? We can do better!

03-04-2025

Liliana Hernandez

Please take a moment to reevaluate who your decisions are representing and aligning with. Iowans do not support criminalizing homelessness. We will not support representatives that do not represent us in the upcoming elections.

03-04-2025

Kirsten Brooks

As an Iowa resident and voter (who just voted in a local election today), I urge you to vote no on this bill. It does nothing to address the root problems that may result in homelessness and inhibits local governments from addressing those root causes and the people affected by them with justice and equanimity. Do not support this bill!

03-04-2025

Rebekah Jacobs

Please vote OPPOSED to SSB 1195. Every person deserves basic human dignity, including access to shelter, food, and safety. Criminalizing homelessness undermines these fundamental rights and treats individuals as criminals for simply needing a place to live. Additionally, having a criminal record creates further obstacles for individuals trying to secure housing prolonging a persons homelessness; therefore this bill would only increase the problem and not reduce it. I have attached a PDF containing research on the ineffectiveness of criminalizing homelessness.

Attachment

03-04-2025

Stephanie Field

I urge all members to vote NO on HSB 286. I strongly believe that the increased criminalization of homelessness is NOT the answer to the homelessness crisis in our state. We need HOUSING FIRST policies that build affordable housing and provide a path forward for homeless individuals and families to have a safe place to live.

03-04-2025

Jessica Fisher

This is an appalling move. Lets assist with mental health so that they can be functional adults contributing to society not further shove them into the ground by detaining them, giving them fines they cant pay they cant even house themselves! Assisting others is not enabling them. There has to be another solution than to criminalize their hard times and affect those who are trying to help.

03-04-2025

Laura Webber

Vote NO on this bill. Being homeless is not a crime, it is a failure of our society not having systems in place to support those in our community who are struggling. Banning the actions of those who are helping the homeless population can be called nothing but cruel. This bill would be a stain on our state and a burden on our taxpayers.

03-04-2025

Carole Frazee

Vote NO on SSB 1195. This is inhumane, unethical and completely unacceptable! You cannot profess to be a person of faith and vote in favor of this. This is not what Iowans want. Read these comments and listen to what we are saying. Vote NO!

03-04-2025

L. Mack

I OPPOSE this bill. It criminalizes homelessness is a harmful and misguided approach that fails to address the root causes of homelessness. Criminalizing individuals for simply existing in public spaces does nothing to solve the issues of poverty, mental health, or lack of affordable housing. It only increases barriers to services, perpetuating the cycle of homelessness and entangling individuals further in the criminal justice system. Instead of punishing people already facing hardship, the state should focus on providing housing, healthcare, and support systems that help individuals regain stability. The public camps this bill advocates for are not a solution; they are a further marginalization of vulnerable populations who need safe and stable housing, not criminal sanctions.Rather than continuing the cycle of criminalization, the legislature should be investing in proven solutions such as Housing First programs, mental health services, and affordable housing initiatives. Homelessness is not a crime, but a failure of the system to provide for the basic needs of its citizens. The bill's vague language also risks penalizing service providers who are already doing crucial work, further burdening already overstretched systems like healthcare and homelessness response services. The focus should be on reducing barriers and expanding resources, not punishing those in dire need. Voting NO on this bill is a vote for compassion and effective solutions that address homelessness with dignity and care.

03-04-2025

Joy Perkins

Please vote no on this bill. Homelessness is not a crime but a chance to help fellow humans restore their dignity. Please look at the research of what programs actually help reduce homelessness and/or talk to already successful homeless shelters in the state to ask what they need to continue to do their job well.

03-04-2025

Angelica Vannatta

VOTE NO on this bill. Criminalizing homelessness is cruel, counterproductive, and irresponsible. Punishing people for being unhoused does nothing to address the root causes of homelessness. Instead, it funnels more individuals into the criminal justice system, burdening law enforcement, overcrowding jails, and wasting taxpayer dollars. And forcing people into police encampments would only strip them of their dignity and create a cycle of suffering. We need real solutions like housing, mental health support, and addiction treatment not punishment.

03-04-2025

Andrea Weber

Vote NO on this bill. Criminalizing fellow Iowans struggling with homelessness and penalizing those trying to help is not a solution. You have true experts in housingfirst models in this state use these experts to actually create sustainable options that don't involve criminalization.

03-04-2025

Christine Tucker

I strongly opposed this bill and urge you to vote no. We should treat our neighbor as we would like others to test ourselves , with compassion. The language about controlled substances is particularly vague and troubling, because it mentions no exception for prescribed controlled substances. Getting in the way of service workers making a difference is not the way to improve outcomes.

03-04-2025

Allie Smaha

I urge you to vote NO on this bill and instead invest your time and energy and my tax dollars into programming that facilitates more affordable housing solutions and housing support for unhoused individuals. No one should be charged with a criminal penalty of any kind for trying to sleep somewhere in our city when they dont have safer options or for helping someone doing so. The cruelty of this legislative body truly knows no bounds as proven last week and again this week. Shame on anyone advancing and voting for these bills.

03-04-2025

Cara Rotschafer

I strongly oppose this bill. Criminalizing homelessness does not solve the root causes of homelessness. This bill is cruel and inhumane and only creates more barriers for unhoused people in finding housing and stability. Instead of punishing our most vulnerable neighbors, we need to address the causes of homelessness by expanding shelter services, rental assistance, and mental health care services. Unhoused people in our communities are our neighbors, friends, and family. They deserve support and compassion, not criminalization.

03-04-2025

Brandy Wallar [New Visions Homeless Services]

Please vote no to this bill. As a homeless service provider for over 20 years in southwest Iowa, I can tell you this bill will not help solve the complicated issue of our neighbors experiencing homelessness. We all can agree that we do need to come up with better solutions that are data driven to be effective to help provide solutions to individuals experiencing homelessness. This bill that would allow fines and arrests create criminal records, which can make it even harder for individuals to secure employment or housing. This can perpetuate a cycle of homelessness, making it more difficult for people to escape their circumstances. It also strains already limited resources. Reinforcing these laws diverts resources from more effective solutions, such as providing supportive housing, mental health services, and job training. It's often more expensive to police and incarcerate individuals than to provide them with the support they need to get back on their feet. Currently my shelter is over capacity at all my services are maxed out leaving individuals only option is to find refuge on the streets. We need to come up with other options as opposed to going straight towards one of the costly and ineffective option of criminalizing homelessness.

03-04-2025

Teja Huntley

This bill is concerning for many reasons. It criminalizes a complex social issue. The focus is on penalizing and warehousing homeless individuals and families rather than funneling that money to affordable housing, intensive substance abuse and mental health treatment, prevention of domestic violence and childhood abuse. The bill is focused on the wrong things. Why are so many people and families homeless? Why do we have so many people with untreated mental health and substance use concerns? The cost of housing has skyrocketed, all while funding and support for mental health and substance treatment has plummeted in this state. I don't understand how spending our tax dollars on criminilizing homelessness and targeting service providers for things out of their control makes any sense at all.Teja Huntley

03-04-2025

Kelsey Callaghan

Please VOTE NO on this bill. As many other commenters have shared, criminalizing homelessness is cruel, counterproductive, and irresponsible. However, as a nonprofit professional, this bill also places undue hardship on the nonprofits who are working to address homelessness in our local communities. As federal and state resources that help folks STAY housed are dismantled, nonprofits are maximizing private resources in order to fill the gaps. Holding nonprofits responsible for drug activity that may not even occur on their property and imposing penalties that will result in years of lost State funding will only weaken our communities and our state as a whole. Nonprofits are adept at providing essential social services extremely efficiently, and are a vital resource to our communities. Distracting from those core services and requiring nonprofit staff to instead spend valuable time and resources filling the role of policing their neighborhood will accomplish nothing.

03-04-2025

Kate Klefstad

Please vote no on this bill. Criminalization of homelessness is dangerous, inhumane, and completely unhelpful. Please stop putting forward bills that further harm marginalized people in our communities, and instead work toward solutions that address poverty, mental health, housing, substance abuse, and healthcare access.

03-04-2025

Teryn Kilbride

I am writing to express my strong opposition to SSB 1195. While addressing homelessness is important, this bill takes a punitive approach rather than providing real solutions. Criminalizing the unauthorized use of public land and restricting access to services will only make it harder for people experiencing homelessness to find stability.Instead of penalties and enforcement measures, Iowa should focus on expanding affordable housing, mental health support, and resources that help individuals get back on their feet. Policies that punish homelessness do not solve homelessness.I urge you to oppose SSB 1195 and instead advocate for compassionate, longterm solutions that address the root causes of this crisis. Thank you for your time and consideration.

03-04-2025

Carrie Z Norton

I hope you vote NO on this bill. It might be helpful for the legislators to hear what people working to reduce homelessness have to say about these issues. Such professionals would deeply appreciate the opportunity to share their knowledge and experience so legislators would then see this bill is counterproductive and punitive for unhoused folk as well as professionals in this field.

03-04-2025

Nancy Williams

Vote NO on HSB 286. There is no evidence to support this as an effective approach to homelessness. There are effective approaches that are underutilized in this state such as permanent supportive housing. Homelessness is a housing problem. It is not solved by warehousing people in encampments.

03-04-2025

Ashley Shewmaker

Please vote NO on this bill. Where is the humanity? Not only is it inhumane, it isnt helpful. We should not criminalize some of the most vulnerable among us. This bill is cruel and does nothing to help solve homelessness in our community. We should instead be investing time and resources into affordable housing, access able healthcare, public education, etc. Vote NO.

03-04-2025

Sydney Uhlman

Vote NO on SSB 1195. I endured a period of homelessness as a young adult after aging out of foster care in Iowa. I experienced firsthand the lack of adequate and appropriate services, which this bill would only worsen. This bill makes it extremely difficult for providers to maintain funding and actually use it to support our communities (especially given how this bill places even more work on already overburdened staff operating with limited resources). It threatens significant legal repercussions that would devastate the lives of clients and staff alike with intentionally vague language. For example, controlled substances are often prescribed by medical professionals for the exact things you say should be addressed substance use and mental illness and you would make it a crime resulting in possible incarceration and fine for staff and client alike if a person engaged in directed medical treatment in their own living space. Additionally, you specify the size of letters used to indicate drug free zones. What about domestic violence providers who are to adhere to confidentiality and could be putting clients lives put at risk if they had to do this? Homelessness is not a crime. We should be funding safe, adequate, and supportive services and working to make sure Iowans experiencing homelessness are met with care and community support, not incarceration and isolation. Vote NO on SSB 1195.

03-04-2025

Madeline Block

I am a current medical student at the Carver College of Medicine and I strongly oppose Iowa Senate Study Bill 1195 because it criminalizes homelessness instead of addressing its root causes. This bill unfairly punishes vulnerable individuals by making unauthorized camping a criminal offense, allowing forced relocation into police encampments, and restricting service providers from assisting individuals who use controlled substanceseven those on prescribed medications. These policies will only worsen homelessness, exacerbate health disparities in Iowa, and increase the financial burden on taxpayers.From an economic standpoint, criminalizing homelessness has been proven to be more costly for taxpayers than investing in housingfirst initiatives. A study from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found that the cost of jailing a homeless person is approximately $47,500 per year, compared to just $12,800 for providing permanent supportive housing. Similarly, research published in the American Journal of Public Health has shown that cities that implement housingfirst programs save millions in emergency medical care, policing, and legal expenses. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also reports that housingfirst programs save taxpayer money by reducing reliance on emergency services and law enforcement. Cities such as Houston have seen homelessness decline significantly through housingfirst approaches rather than criminalization, leading to substantial financial savings for local governments.I urge lawmakers to reject Senate Study Bill 1195 in favor of compassionate, researchbacked solutions that address homelessness at its core. Instead of criminalizing people for struggling to survive, we must invest in housing, mental health services, and social support systems that help individuals regain stability. Criminalization is not only inhumane, but it is also an expensive and ineffective use of taxpayer resources. I stand with medical professionals, service providers, and advocates across Iowa in calling for humane and effective policies that treat all individuals with dignity and respect while using public funds responsibly.

03-04-2025

Ben Brustkern

Please vote no on bringing this bill out of committee. Housing is the solution for people experiencing homelessness not jail cells and fines. The drug free homeless zones will require domestic violence shelters to place signage causing safety issues for victims who are homeless. Adding potential criminal charges to already stressed homeless staff will not lead to results keeping people off the streets. I hope the state will use solutions based approaches to end homelessness that put housing front and center.

03-04-2025

Will Bird [Friends of the Family]

Vote NO. No one wishes there were people experiencing homelessness in Iowa. As someone who has worked closely with many people who are unhoused this is not the solution. Treating people with dignity and working with them to obtain HOUSING is how Iowa can solve this problem. This bill is cruel and solves nothing.

03-04-2025

Susan Futrell

I urge you to vote NO on this bill. Lack of safe shelter and longterm housing is a serious problem that increases as the economy worsens, services are cut, and those in need of housing are ostracized and unsupported. Many Iowa communities including my own have wellestablished programs to address homelessness and have decades of experience in developing programs and services that work. You should be supporting rather than restricting and criminalizing these organizations and the people they serve. Research shows that punishment and criminalization do not work to provide shelter for those who need it. Help make Iowa a welcoming and safe place. Vote no on this cruel and damaging bill.

03-04-2025

Caitlin Owens

Please vote no. This is an incredibly cruel piece of legislation that does nothing to address the causes of homelessness. There are so many amazing organizations doing important and difficult work to care for our unhoused neighbors AND work upstream to address the factors that contribute to it in the first place. They need the support of law makers to expand their work, not senseless legislation like this designed specifically to thwart it. Where is the humanity?

03-04-2025

Alexandra N

Please do not move this bill forward. It is cruel, vague, and criminalizes not only those with literally nowhere else to go, but also anyone providing basic humanitarian aid. Investing in affordable and accessible housing for all, including those with mental illness and who use substances, is how we actually reduce homelessness and make everyone safer. That is where our tax dollars should be spent not paying for people to be caught in a vicious cycle of being policed and incarcerated, reducing their ability to find employment and housing. This bill is predatory and immoral.

03-04-2025

Jeremy Jahn

Please vote NO on this bill. The contents wouldn't improve the lives of clients experiencing homelessness. The "choice" that clients have when confronted with legal trouble for sleeping outside, with regards to either accepting a referral to shelter or "services", is a "choice" that doesn't exist for every client. In Polk County, there are two emergency shelters: Bethel Mission is for maleidentifying clients; CISS is for any gender identity. Bethel Mission often is at max capacity, and CISS is not an option for clients that have timed out of shelter, that may be trespassed from the property, or that generally feel unsafe with staying at a shelter with over 150 individuals (some of whom may need a higher level of care due to untreated mental health or substance use disorders.) Besides shelter, what "services" are being offered to these unsheltered clients? Street Outreach services? Street Outreach can only do so much; they don't offer housing which is the real need in this community. So... if a client cannot seek shelter and there are no "services" to house them, then what? They just enter the cycle of incarceration? That is a massive burden on the criminal justice system. Changing topics, there are over 120 families currently waiting on the family shelter list for the two family shelters in Polk County that operate off a waiting list. Perhaps a better use of time would be to consider building more family shelter capacity in Polk County. Source: https://www.kcci.com/article/polkcountyleadersorganizationsshareeffortstohelpfamiliesexperiencinghomelessness/63846960.Section 5, "Homelessness funding annual reports" is redundant. Agencies that work with homeless clients already track/report data and receive audits, e.g. shelters in Polk County utilize the HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) data system. If you need data to prove that homelessness is continuing to grow in Polk County, please refer to Homeward's research. For more information on the HMIS data system, please refer to Institute for Community Alliances (ICA); both agencies are based in Des Moines, Iowa.Finally, Section 4, "Drugfree homeless service zones", would criminalize service providers for providing services to clients that report actively using substances. We can encourage clients to seek substance use treatment if they so desire, but we cannot force someone to do so. The reality is that substance use will continue to happen regardless of how many attempts are made to "stop" it's use (does anyone remember prohibition of alcohol?) Also, shelters and other agencies that work with homeless populations are already drugfree, so I don't understand why it's stated that agencies must "affix signs" outside their businesses stating a policy that is already selfexplanatory... So, in summary, perhaps a better use of time would be to volunteer at shelters, talk to your local agencies, and see what exactly is going on with your own eyes, rather than continuing to criminalize people outside from your air conditioned offices.

03-04-2025

Nat Osborn

People experiencing homelessness are the most vulnerable Iowans. We should not be criminalizing this it is cruel, unjust & wrong! How much of our tax dollars would be used to police this law? Arresting & caging the homeless? Why not, instead, use those funds to HELP the homeless. Provide them with temporary housing & job assistance. I know most Iowa Republicans claim to be Christians. Would Jesus approve of jailing the homeless?

03-04-2025

Kelsey Anderson

This bill does not fix the problem many Iowans face of homelessness, it just traumatizes an already vulnerable population. I work with veterans and see the effects of homelessness on a daily basis. This bill does nothing for those experiencing homelessness besides make their situations worse. Please vote no against this cruel bill.

03-04-2025

Heather Harney

Vote No on SSB 1195. Republican and conservatives should honor the principals of the value of human life and believe in small government. This bill does not value either of these founding principles. Local municipalities should have the autonomy to decide what is best for the community with the support of local service providers. This bill is not about Iowa and its people. It is about taking blanket legislation from think tanks that do not know our state and our communities. Homeless service providers, housing developers, mental health and substance abuse providers, job training programs, all have ideas and solutions to help end homelessness in our communities. This bill does not use any of those solutions. Please talk to your community and constituents about what is needed to end homelessness and their own thoughts before introducing and approving legislation that is not focused on creating local solutions to local issues.

03-04-2025

Miranda Maday [Social worker ]

Please vote no on SSB1195. It has become increasingly clear that the majority of our state legislators have sold out and are taking their orders from billionaire think tanks rather than from their constituents. This bill is incredibly cruel and ignores all research on how to best address homelessness. It offers no real solutions. All human beings have the right to a basic standard of living that includes safe, affordable housing, healthcare, and freedom from discrimination and cruelty. As housing costs and inflation continue to rise at a pace so many Iowans are struggling to keep up with, many people are one life emergency away from being at risk or actually losing their home. We should be addressing the root causes of systemic issues like homelessness, not twisting the knife into the side of our fellow humans.

03-04-2025

Elizabeth Patten

Vote NO on this bill. This bill further criminalizes those experiencing homelessness while providing no solutions. I urge you to see these individuals as they are our neighbors. We do not need to add additional barriers and make life in Iowa harder for some of our most vulnerable community members.

03-04-2025

Morgan Stern

Vote No on this bill. This bill does not HELP homelessness which is a direct result of this states negligence against its houseless communities. Take responsibility and actually help these people. WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO GO? Do you check the conditions of shelters? Do you fund the resources needed to feed and house these people who have been failed by society? If not, you should not have a say in harming and oppressing these individuals even more than they already are. Fund mental health. Fund shelters. Fund the non profits that are ACTUALLY doing what you should be doing as legislation. OWN YOUR MISTAKES

03-04-2025

Meghan Smith

The punitive approach of this bill will only make life harder for people in difficult situations and not do anything to reduce homelessness in a meaningful, sustainable way. Local providers need support to help people address significant barriers to meeting their basic needs, not to have their hands ties by the state level. Vote no on SSB 1195.

03-04-2025

Megan Hoxhalli

Vote NO on this bill. This will only cause harm to individuals and communities. Listen to agencies and individuals who are working with people experiencing homelessness and enact humane, housingfirst policies that will help people instead of criminalizing them.

03-04-2025

Laura Michelson

I urge you to vote NO on SSB 1195, which would criminalize and only further endanger Iowans in vulnerable situations. This legislation would not solve any problems, but sets cruel treatment for unhoused Iowans. I urge you to vote NO and advocate for your unhoused constituents and neighbors.

03-04-2025

Megan Kyhl

I ask you to vote no to SSB195. It is appalling that the Iowa legislature would even entertain a bill that criminalizes homelessness rather than addressing its root causes. This proposal, which seeks to punish individuals struggling to survive on public land, is not just misguidedit is a blatant disregard for the humanity of those who are already suffering. Homelessness is not a choice; it is born from a crushing lack of options, rising housing costs, economic instability, and an overall failure of the system to provide affordable housing. Yet, rather than offering compassion, support, and solutions, this bill seeks to penalize people who are desperate and have nowhere else to turn. In a time when prices are skyrocketing, and the economic strain on working families grows under the current administration, homelessness will only continue to escalate. Instead of criminalizing poverty and desperation, lawmakers should focus on creating and funding housingfirst programs that give people a real chance to rebuild their lives. This bill doesnt just ignore the problemit exacerbates it, showing a shocking lack of empathy and a complete failure to recognize the human beings behind these struggles.

03-04-2025

Niko Muniz

Vote no on this bill. As a society we need to remember to lead with compassion. Targeting people at such a vulnerable state in their life is inhumane and simply unethical. We must come together, uplift each other, and work to create a country, state, and world where EVERYONE is safe, recognized, and valued.

03-04-2025

Marcos Lester McSweeney

Penalties for homelessness do nothing to decrease the incidence of homelessness, and do nothing to help the individual going through this tough time. Homeless support services are not always an option for someone with no home they may be overloaded, forcing the individual to get a simple misdemeanor for no reason other than poverty. An individual cannot be discouraged from sleeping in a public space via a criminal penalty, as being homeless is not an active choice someone makes. I urge you to vote no, this bill is misguided and provides no solutions, only additional problems.

03-04-2025

Karen Brinck

Providing shelter to those who are unhoused is often the first step to ending homelessness. It cost less to provide emergency shelter with access to case management than to criminalize homelessness and subsequent incarceration. It has been said the majority of households are just one emergency or paycheck from losing their housing. Temporary emergency shelters provide basic human needs for those in society many who are disabled, or veterans. Please vote no to penalizing those who are less fortunate

03-04-2025

Nikki Rhodes

Vote no. This bill is ghoulishly cruel; if that doesn't matter to you, it would be expensive to enforce, consuming resources that could otherwise be used productively, which is part of the inhumane point but would also be seriously wasteful.

03-04-2025

Maggie Howe

VOTE NO ON THIS. This is absurd. Use funds to HELP homeless folks, instead of incarcerate them. Making homeless folks illegal will acutally only cost the state money without fixing the problem. This bill is morally, fiscally, and ethically wrong.

03-04-2025

Jorie Hidri

Vote No to SSB1195. People experiencing homelessness already have enough barriers to overcome more fines and criminal charges will only make it more difficult for them to get housed. The language of this bill not only targets the vulnerable population, but the staff who show up every day and do the hard work to serve the most vulnerable people in Iowa. It is appalling that a bill like this is even being considered. Instead of focusing efforts on criminalizing homelessness, our state should focus on creating more affordable housing for those with extremely low income.

03-04-2025

emma colman

Vote NO on this bill. This asinine legislation would sink people deeper into homelessness and penalize caregivers. Not only is this cruel, it's expensive. Tax payer dollars shouldn't be punishing people experiencing homelessness, making a bad situation worse. They should be helping lift them up and providing opportunities.

03-04-2025

Apeksha Adhikari

If you all claim to be prolife, it would be hypocritical to make it harder for people who are already living and are not homeless because of choice. You would be doing a disservice to unhoused members of your constituency by not allowing them to be Americans, which means to take advantage of the American dream to thrive. Cutting funding away will just shift towards more people utilizing other services, which, for some reason, republicans and conservative members are not a fan of, huge overutilization of welfare services. Please vote no, if you don't, then unhoused members of your community will vote against you and we will work to vote you out of power should you keep hurting marginalized community members.

03-04-2025

Heidi Bowden

I am writing to express my vehement opposition to SSB 1195, a bill that would criminalize the unsheltered and forcibly detain them in policerun encampments. This legislation is not a solution to homelessnessit is a cruel, punitive measure that will strip vulnerable individuals of their dignity, autonomy, and basic human rights.Forcing people into police custody simply for experiencing homelessness does nothing to address the root causes of poverty, housing insecurity, or mental health crises. Instead, it will worsen trauma, deepen social inequities, and increase unnecessary interactions with law enforcement. History has shown that criminalization does not reduce homelessnessit exacerbates it.We should be investing in housing, social services, mental health care, and employment opportunitiesnot expanding statesanctioned camps that further isolate and punish people for their circumstances. Every human being deserves safety, respect, and the right to exist in public spaces without fear of imprisonment.I urge you to reject this inhumane legislation and instead focus on evidencebased solutions that uplift, rather than punish, those in need. Do not turn poverty into a crime. Stand for justice, dignity, and real solutions.

03-04-2025

Hailey Andersen

Criminalizing homelessness does not address the root causes of homelessness, such as poverty, mental illness, and lack of affordable housing. Instead of offering support and solutions, it often results in further marginalization and exacerbates people's struggles. Criminal penalties, such as fines or arrests, do not provide people experiencing homelessness with the resources they need to rebuild their lives, such as access to housing, healthcare, or job opportunities. Moreover, it disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations, including those with disabilities and mental health challenges, making it a counterproductive approach to an issue that requires compassion and longterm, systemic solutions.

03-04-2025

Leanne Williams

My faith, conscience, and common sense all cry out against this bill. Penalizing those of us with the fewest and least resources does nothing good. Nothing at all. The Bible, Torah, Quran, and every other religious text I can think of all preach that we should do everything we can to help our neighbors, to embrace those on the margins of society, to practice humility and understanding. Please stop this bill. Please show some kindness.

03-04-2025

Therese Petty [Episcopal Diocese of Iowa]

I strongly oppose this bill, SSB 1195, and urge you to vote NO. As a Christian, I am called to respect the dignity of every human being, which includes our houseless neighbors, and all Christians are called to follow Jesus' example of caring for and standing with the poor and marginalized in our communities. Whether you are a person of any faith or no faith, the very least we should be doing is no harm to our neighbors, and this bill causes great harm. I am appalled at the cruelty of this bill, punishing both folks who are houseless and the organizations that work with them, and urge you to vote NO.

03-04-2025

Ramata Traore

VOTE NO TO SSB 1195! You should not be punishing a population that is already vulnerable when you could be focused on actually helping them. An individuals sobriety status should not dictate the help that is available to them.

03-04-2025

Shelli Manna

Vote NO!! I oppose legislation that criminalizes people experiencing homelessness. I oppose the inhumane and undignified way this bill treats fellow Iowans facing hardship, those already suffering from the trauma of being house less, and those who are facing homelessness. I oppose this cruel and heartless measure and urge you to VOTE NO.

03-04-2025

Liz S [N/a]

The criminalization of homelessness does not solve any problems. There is plenty of evidence and research on this matter. Focus on making change that helps people not hurts them pointlessly. This will only further worsen outcomes for some of the most vulnerable.

03-04-2025

Marcela Roberts

I urge you to vote against this legislation. It shifts the blame of being unhoused onto the individual, as opposed to the numerous systems that fail to provide adequate housing, Healthcare, education, and social services. Housing is a human right. People should not be punished for taking up space on God's earth. We are meant to house and feed those in need, not fill ourselves with pride and greed. VOTE NO.

03-04-2025

Katie Kelly

I urge you to vote no on SB 1195. Low barrier sheltering, trauma informed services have been proven to be more effective in reducing the prevalence of homelessness when compared to criminalization. This bill will limit peoples access to services, likely resulting in increased incarceration and death. The cost of enforcing this bill should it become law would far outweigh any current cost of homeless services. This bill is cruel and dehumanizing

03-04-2025

Emily Howes-Vonstein

I strongly oppose this bill. Christians are supposed to care for the vulnerable not criminalize them. Were called to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and stand with the marginalized. To love our neighbor as ourselves. Homeless Iowans are worthy of dignity. Of compassion. Of support. Iowans are worthy of legislation that focuses on reducing social barriers and structures that contribute to homelessness. Please focus on expanding mental health services, creating affordable housing, increasing minimum wage, ensuring access to affordable healthcare, and eliminating discriminatory practices. Please maintain housingfirst initiatives. Please uphold care. Anyone can struggle at any time. Dont punish them for it. Vote NO on SSB 1195.

03-04-2025

Anissa Forero

Please vote no on this bill. Homelessness is not a crime and should not be treated as such. These populations are vulnerable and deserve support/funding to address the root causes of homelessness. This bill will not address any cause and only serves to divide our community further. Address medical bankruptcy, housing prices, and the general cost of living. This is what your community actually wants to see. This bill is disgusting.

03-04-2025

Kate Davies

I am in strong opposition of this bill, and Im asking you to please vote NO on this heartless bill. Our houseless community members need our help and support, not our judgement and condemnation. All people are worthy & deserving of a safe place to call home full stop. Please STOP criminalizing and monetizing things and start coming up with some real solutions to provide safe and accessible housing and healthcare to our community.

03-04-2025

Ron Brinks

Vote NO to this bill. We should be putting money into helping homeless people, not criminalizing them. We dont need more people in jail. We need to take care of our citizens, especially those who are struggling, not punish them.

03-04-2025

Caleb Grawe

This bill is absolutely abhorrent, and has no business being passed in the state of Iowa. We should be working to uplift and care for the most unfortunate members of our communities not criminalize their existence as they simply try to survive. The lack of nuance and general spirit of this bill should outrage any Iowan with a sense of morality. If youre more worried about clean streets than the wellbeing of your fellow statesmen, you have no place in government. Vote no.

03-04-2025

Emily Miller

I strongly oppose SSB 1195, which seeks to criminalize homelessness rather than address its root causes. This bill does nothing to provide real solutions for Iowans experiencing housing insecurityinstead, it pushes people further into crisis by imposing criminal penalties and forcing law enforcement into a role they should not have to play.Creating police encampments to displace unhoused individuals is not only inhumane but also an irresponsible use of public resources. Criminalizing people for their poverty does not reduce homelessnessit simply hides it while making it even harder for individuals to secure housing, employment, or services that could help them get back on their feet.If the goal is truly to reduce homelessness in Iowa, lawmakers should focus on investments in affordable housing, mental health services, and communitybased support programsnot punishment and displacement.As Proverbs 31:89 reminds us: Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. Iowa should be a state that cares for its most vulnerable, not one that punishes them for their struggles.I urge legislators to reject this harmful bill and instead prioritize real, compassionate solutions that address housing insecurity at its core.

03-04-2025

Maya George

Vote NO on this bill. This is irresponsible legislation criminalizing a tragic symptom of larger systemwide issues. This legislation will only serve as yet another barrier for persons experiencing homelessness and addiction to getting the help they need. This is inhumane. Vote NO.

03-04-2025

Allison Hein

Please do not allow this bill to pass subcommittee. This bill will negatively impact the lives of those experiencing homelessness across Iowa. This bill has numerous legal and logistical contradictions to current law that have not been addressed and would be dangerous to proceed without clarification. Secondly, this bill places extreme consequences for already illegal activities, and undue burden on entities providing shelter and housing focused services to those experiencing homelessness. Encampment zones without additional funding to have qualified, skilled staff to support individuals and families will create isolated service gaps and increase reliance on local law enforcement entities. These specific proposed measures will negatively impact the relationships that have been built between service providers with clients and housing solutions at work in our communities, solutions that are moving individuals and families into housing everyday. Throughout the last year in Cedar Rapids our homeless service providers have seen a decrease in unsheltered homelessness for the first time in 5 years. We credit this success to the advice and support received from the National Alliance to End Homelessness in 2023, and the renewed energy of our local service providers collaboration with city and county resources. These efforts are working. Our state should be focusing resources on best practice solutions to homelessness working across the country, not increasing barriers to accessing services and increasing the likelihood that individuals and families will continue to remain homeless. Please reconsider this bill and vote no to passing it from this committee.

03-04-2025

Jamie Nagel

Please do not advance this bill. Every homeless service provider I know is extremely opposed. I suggest you consult with them about what reforms are truly needed and come back with a new proposal that does not criminalize the homeless and those who work with them.

03-04-2025

Amy Luebbert

Vote note on SSB 1195. This is an incredibly inhumane response to our neighbors, friends, and family members who are unhoused. People deserve better than what you're dishing out at the Capitol. Have you considered providing housing to folks instead of penalizing them for being unhoused? It's proven to work.

03-05-2025

Noelle Parsons

Not only would advancing this inhumane bill be a kick in the teeth to unhoused people and the orgs on the ground supporting and sheltering them, but it would be pointless. Unless the cruelty is the point, I suppose.Criminalizing the unhoused has been shown over and over again to do nothing to help improve their lot in life, nor reduce the resulting strain on courts and public services. If the goal is having fewer unhoused, housing them is less costly and far more effective.I trust Shelter House, a leading local org doing the work to support the unhoused, when they say this legislation is a bad idea. As our elected leaders, I hope you'll give their concerns due consideration. Please see attached.Here's hoping you do the right thing for our communities, including our unhoused neighbors, and reject this bill. Thank you.

Attachment

03-05-2025

Sam Bass

Vote no on SSB 1195. I am adamantly opposed to this bill, as it does nothing to address the real needs of unhoused people, and instead criminalizes their existence by making illegal the very things they must do to survive. There are many legitimate reasons someone is unable or unwilling to utilize a shelter, and someone's lack of ability or willingness should not result in the financial and criminal penalties laid out in this bill. All of this, of course, would be irrelevant if adequate, permanent housing were made accessible, along with accessible healthcare. You must legislate in a way that treats unhoused people like your human constituents (which they are) and not like an object of inconvenience to be disposed of. Legislate with compassion.

03-05-2025

Rhys Black

This approach could criminalize the act of being homeless or the behavior often associated with homelessness, like camping in public spaces, without providing sufficient alternatives or solutions. I could easily argue that this exacerbates the issue by punishing individuals for their circumstances rather than addressing the underlying causes of homelessness.

03-05-2025

Rhys Black

PLEASE VOTE NO ON THIS.This approach could criminalize the act of being homeless or the behavior often associated with homelessness, like camping in public spaces, without providing sufficient alternatives or solutions. I could easily argue that this exacerbates the issue by punishing individuals for their circumstances rather than addressing the underlying causes of homelessness.

03-05-2025

Melissa Gevaert

Please vote no on this bill. This bill targets homeless Iowans in ways that continue to do harm instead of help them. We should instead be focusing our efforts on improving services to our homeless population and assist them with getting back on their feet.

03-05-2025

Catherine Lueth

Vote No punishing people who are struggling is not a solution. We need to provide support with stable housing, food and medical care. Villanizing those groups trying to help with minimal support now will not improve the outcome for the homeless or our society overall.

03-05-2025

Mazahir Salih [Immigrant Welcome Network of Johnson County]

I strongly oppose SSB 1195, a bill that would criminalize homelessness in our state. Punishing individuals for experiencing housing insecurity is not a solutionit only deepens the crisis and creates additional barriers for people trying to regain stability.Instead of criminalization, Iowa should invest in real, longterm solutions, including:Affordable housing initiativesMental health and substance use supportEmployment programs and economic opportunitiesCriminalizing homelessness does not reduce it. It only forces people further into instability, making it even harder for them to secure employment, find housing, and rebuild their lives. Iowa should focus on policies that address the root causes of homelessness, not penalize those who are already struggling.I urge you to vote against SSB 1195 and work toward compassionate, evidencebased solutions that truly support Iowans in need.Thank you for your time and consideration.

03-05-2025

Kelsie Tomlin [CommUnity Crisis Services]

VOTE NO. Criminalizing unhoused individuals will only create more barriers to prevent housing, increase mental health crises, fill emergency rooms, and overcrowded jails . This is not the answer or approach to end homelessness. By investing funding to proven programs and agencies who specialize in this line of work is how we can address this concern appropriately.

03-05-2025

Megan Klein-Hewett

Please vote no on SSB 1195. It needlessly creates barriers for both individuals experiencing homelessness, and the service providers who are trying to help. Homelessness is an issue that should be left to local control, so communities can implement solutions that work for them, rather than having the state define how working with unhoused individuals is approached. As written, this bill is cruel and unhelpful to those needing the help, and to those actually doing the work.

03-05-2025

Robin Stoker

For you "Christians" on the subcommittee:Matthew 25:3536 (That's part of the Bible in case you haven't read it.)For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after meThis bill is abhorrent and you should vote no. Human life ALL human life, even the lives of unhoused folks in Iowa are valuable. VOTE NO.

03-05-2025

Dawn Hafner

Vote NO!!! Being homeless is not a crime!! In this country you have many people who break laws that get off easily with a lawyer and some money. Look at our current administration. Its disgraceful we have convicted criminals in office and this bill would put poor people in prison or fine them for being poor!! How does this help the problem? It doesnt.

03-05-2025

Giovonni Bahena

Every person you meet is a couple bad months from homelessness than they are a couple good months from billions.With rising housing, food, medical, prices in general, and stagnant wages, minimum wages that dont cover or meet the cost of living, and an economy on the brink of collapse, it is shameful to punish people who are trying to live.Please vote no on this bill, and for the love of humanity please focus your time and energy on helping Iowans, instead of following the lead of parasitic billionaires and their fascistic thinktanks.

03-05-2025

Bekah Rotert

Vote no on this bill. This bill does not get to the root cause of homelessness and does nothing to help find folks affordable housing or care they need. I believe that housing first policies are a more effective to reduce homelessness and that all people are deserving of care and support. Please vote no.

03-05-2025

John Kenyon

Please vote NO and do not forward this bill. The issue of homelessness is not a statewide problem. It is a local issue, and municipalities, in partnership with the nonprofit sector, have plans in place to address it. This bill would be a tremendous setback for that work, causing undue harm and making the goal of helping people to get back on their feet even more elusive. This is legislation that solves nothing, but seems intent on injecting cruelty into an already fraught situation. Iowa's cities do not need the state's help on this one; sit it out and please do not do more damage.

03-05-2025

Emily Lavery

03-05-2025

Cyan Bossou

I am writing to urgently urge you to oppose Senate Study Bill 1195. This bill sets a dangerous precedent that could further criminalize homelessness, rather than addressing the root causes and finding a more effective solution.Housingfirst policies have been proven to effectively reduce homelessness by providing individuals with stable housing before addressing other issues such as addiction or mental health. Criminalizing homelessness only exacerbates the problem, placing an unnecessary strain on local law enforcement and detention centers without addressing the core issue. Moreover, criminalizing publiclyfunded service providers who work with individuals struggling with homelessness and addiction is both unfair and cruel. These providers are dedicated to helping those in need, and penalizing them for offering support only worsens the situation.As someone who has experienced the foster care system, endured homelessness, and faced struggles with parents who suffer from addiction, I strongly urge you to oppose this bill. It is crucial that we support policies that provide resources and compassion for individuals and families facing these challenges, rather than criminalizing their circumstances.Please consider the impact this bill will have on vulnerable populations and join me in supporting a more humane and effective solution to homelessness.

03-05-2025

Alicia Faust

I avidly oppose and ask you not to move forward with SSB1195. This legislation will divert resources from proven solutions to homelessness. Iowa must not continue developing revolving doors for people who are experiencing homelessness. Arresting and jailing people experiencing homelessness under laws that criminalize homelessness cost exponentially more than housing and services cost. We must continue investing in permanent solutions to homelessness instead of expensive, temporary options that are being presented from people who are not experts in this field. Please talk to and rely on your community of experts. I urge you to deny this legislation and instead invest in solutions in your state.

03-05-2025

Nina Richtman

I am writing as both a concerned citizen and mental health advocate.While I fully acknowledge that homelessness is a pressing issue in our state, this legislation is punitive and will criminalize homelessness and mental illness. Additionally, the proposed legislation will create barriers for organizations which are currently working with this population through added liabilities and potential funding loss. While I appreciate that the bill proposes treatment options for those that are unhoused, it fails to address the significant shortage of providers offering those services and the challenges in accessing those services statewide. An unfunded mandate with proposed punitive actions will exacerbate, not solve, the issue of homelessness. Please vote no.

03-05-2025

Leah Lopez Cardenas

Vote NO on this bill. It is cruel and inhumane. Existing in public spaces should not be a crime. Housingfirst policies are the best way to reduce homelessness and organizations working to help unhoused people need their resources expanded, not limited.

03-05-2025

Diana Boeglin

Vote NO on this bill. It demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding of homelessness and the scientifically proven approaches to resolve it. This bill would disproportionately impact veterans and people with mental illness. People who are homeless are not criminals, they are poor. And given the way the economy is headed, their numbers will be increasing sharply in the near future. Keep in mind that we are all just one catastrophe away from being in their shoes.

03-05-2025

Marnie Strate

Please do not move this bill forward! This does nothing to address the causes of homelessness and will punish people for simply trying to survive. Iowa already lacks the resources to serve all of our unhoused people, this will only make things worse for everyone.

03-05-2025

Angela Wright

I urge you to vote NO on SSB 1195. This bill does not solve homelessnessit punishes it. Criminalizing people for experiencing hardship will not make the problem disappear; it will only deepen suffering and increase costs for taxpayers by funneling more people into jails, hospitals, and overburdened emergency services.Homelessness is not a crimeit is a systemic failure. People become unhoused due to skyrocketing housing costs, medical emergencies, domestic violence, job loss, and mental health struggles. Instead of forcing individuals into sanctioned encampments or punishing service providers, we must invest in real, evidencebased solutions: affordable housing, mental health services, and job training programs. The cost of homelessness is not just moralit is financial. Studies show that criminalizing homelessness is far more expensive than solving it. Jailing a homeless person can cost taxpayers three times as much as providing stable housing and support services. Housing First policies have been proven to reduce homelessness while saving public resources.Do not let fear and misguided policies dictate our response to this crisis. Homelessness impacts entire communitieswhen people lack stable housing, it strains emergency rooms, law enforcement, and local economies. Iowans deserve legislation that upholds dignity and fiscal responsibility, not one that forces our most vulnerable neighbors into deeper instability at a higher cost to everyone.Vote NO on SSB 1195 and commit to real solutions that lift people up rather than push them further down.

03-05-2025

Kyle Burke

Please vote NO on SSB 1195. Criminalizing homelessness does not address its root causes or present realistic solutions for ending it. This bill also layers harmful regulations on social service organizations without providing any additional funding. I urge subcommittee members to voice support for legislation that increases funding for agencies that serve homeless community members, especially in light of cuts to federal funding for this critical work.

03-05-2025

Colleen Neel

Please vote NO against SSB1195/HSB286It is challenging enough for folks experiencing homelessness to survive and get back on their feet. More fines and criminal charges will only make things worse! Many people are not able to stay in shelter, do not assume that shelter is an option for everyone because it's simply not. I work with the homeless population in Polk County and I can tell you that the language of this bill not only targets the most vulnerable population but it also targets the staff that show up every day to serve these folks. Before you think you know what's best, look to those that are working in the field for guidance. Work on creating more affordable housing & programs !

03-05-2025

Charles Bermingham

Please vote NO on this bill. This would only exacerbate the struggles of those experiencing homelessness and those trying to serve that population. There are providers and agencies across our communities doing amazing work in this area, and collaboration with them is the way to effectively and sustainably make change. This bill would only serve to put more burden on service providers, law enforcement and hospitals, while also further dehumanizing the people experiencing homelessness. I urge you to vote NO on this bill!

03-05-2025

rachel scott [Friends of the Family]

Please vote no on this critical measure. SSB1195 and HSB286 will divert resources from proven solutions to homelessness, focusing attention on creating designated encampments that increase the risk unhoused Iowans will be stuck in a cycle between prison and living unsheltered.This legislation, as written, creates a mandate for local governments to designate encampments while providing no funding to do so. That would be costly and could drive up property taxes. It also imposes a statewide camping ban intended to force people into the designated encampments with penalties up to misdemeanor charges.The legislation creates enhanced drug crime penalties for activities that are already illegal. It labels all areas where unhoused people receive services as Drug Free Homeless Service Zones, stigmatizing those who need help while imposing supercharged penalties on program participants as well as homeless programs and staff themselves if violations occur.Finally, the bill creates new reporting requirements that duplicate existing practices for many organizations, while discouraging faithbased groups, community organizations, and smaller groups from serving unhoused people.Iowa must not create a revolving door between prison and the street for people who need housing. Arresting and jailing homeless people under laws that criminalize homelessness often cost 23 times the cost of housing and services according to the Seattle University School of Law and several studies.

03-05-2025

Kristyn Osborne

I urge you to vote no on this bill. Being houseless is not a crime. Each of us is much closer to poverty than we think. Passing restrictive legislation that targets vulnerable populations is hateful, and does not reflect the values of our state.

03-05-2025

Jancee Lewis

Vote NO on SSB 1195. How is this bill bettering our community? As the wealthiest country in the world, full of hard working people that struggle to no end, there are far better solutions than this. This bill is ridden with sin.

03-05-2025

Jen Dixon [Friends of the Family]

Iowa must not create a revolving door between prison and the street for people who need housing. Arresting and jailing homeless people under laws that criminalize homelessness often cost 23 times the cost of housing and services according to the Seattle University School of Law and several studies. PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR FELLOW HUMANS!

03-05-2025

Cora Perkins

Please vote no on bringing this bill out of committee. The housing affected by this bill is crucial for people experiencing homelessness. Numerous reasons cause homelessness, a major one being domestic violence. Being a victim of violence is NOT a crime. The drugfree homeless zones will require domestic violence shelters to place signage, causing safety issues for victims who are homeless. Adding potential criminal charges to already stressed homeless staff will not lead to results keeping people off the streets. I encourage the state to use evidencebased approaches to end homelessness that put housing front and center.

03-05-2025

Caitlin Atkins

VOTE NO ON THIS BILL. Homelessness is not a crime. There are proven solutions to help people those who are experiencing homelessness and that is what our state should be focused on. We are each just one check, one tragic event, or unexpected bill away from being homeless. Iowa CAN and SHOULD do better than this.

03-05-2025

Allyson Larsen

This bill is incredibly dangerous. For 11 years, have worked as a social worker in the largest, busiest emergency department in Iowa. I have seen likely hundreds of patients who are unhoused or at risk for being unhoused. These individuals are not criminals based on the fact that they are homeless. There are many reasons why someone may end up homeless. Many seek shelter, but cannot find a shelter environment due to lack of beds, their history or a common complaint of not feeling safe. This bill would make it a crime to be homeless. In addition, it places those organizations at risk who work tirelessly and often with limited resources, to help people who are in crisis when it comes to lack of housing. Please do the right thing and do not move this bill forward.

03-05-2025

Morgan Stone

Vote no on this bill. Unsheltered individuals should never be illegal. This will do even more harm on those individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness. We need to end homelessness, not create even more barriers for them making it harder for them to find safe housing.

03-05-2025

Cora Holland

VOTE NO. As a future clinical mental health counselor, who will be providing mental health care to Iowans, this bill goes against our ETHICAL code. Criminalizing community mental health centers and/or other publicly funded centers for treating people who need and/or requirement treatment is UNETHICAL. It doesnt allow people to do their jobs that Iowa is begging for us to do as more and more mental health professionals are leaving this state due to continue legislation that is being passed. Wanting a healthier future for ALL Iowans is dependent on voting NO to this bill.

03-05-2025

Kyndra Lobdell

Please vote against this bill. While no one wants homelessness to persist, this is not the right solution. Criminalizing individuals when they are at their most vulnerable is inhumane and will only create additional obstacles for them in securing stable housing. Housing is the true solution to homelessness, and this measure will only exacerbate the issue. Additionally, it will place an even greater burden on the service providers who are working tirelessly to help Iowa achieve its goal of ending homelessness.

03-05-2025

Danielle Vance [Friends of the Family]

I strongly oppose the criminalization bill currently in committee. The only true solution to homelessness is housing not punishment. This bill targets vulnerable individuals without addressing the root cause of homelessness: lack of affordable housing and supportive services. We should be investing in housing solutions, not creating barriers that push people further into crisis. Everyone deserves the dignity of a safe place to call home.

03-05-2025

Berea Kaimera

I am very strongly opposed to SSB 1195. People without home are not criminals. We should be helping these people not making their lives harder and putting them in a situation where existing is illegal. This law is inhumane and should NOT go forward. Vote NO.

03-05-2025

Emma Wendel

VOTE NO on this bill, those experiencing homelessness are not criminals. We should be focusing on bills that support housing first as a way to support our unhoused communities. Putting our time and money to give these people the care and compassion that every person deserves.

03-05-2025

Naia Goodman

I strongly urge you to vote no on SSB 1195. Not having a home is not a crime, it is a devastating and often traumatic situation. This bill does little to address the root causes of homelessness and instead punishes individuals for their circumstances while making it harder for service providers to offer critical assistance in our community.

03-05-2025

Madison Gaffney

Vote NO to this bill because it criminalizes homelessness instead of addressing its root causes. Penalizing the use of public land and creating drugfree zones further marginalizes vulnerable individuals. We should focus on providing affordable housing, mental health care, and addiction treatment. Let's support our homeless population with compassion, not punishment.

03-05-2025

Cecilia Smith

Vote NO on this bill. If you believe in Jesus and call yourself Christian, then the decision to not let this pass through subcommittee is obvious. For those of you who are Christian and are in favor of this bill, I urge you to reconsider how this promotes Christian values and the teachings of Jesus. I will be praying for you all in hopes that the lord guides your decision.

03-05-2025

Tory Thompson

Please vote no to this bill. Criminalizing people experiencing homelessness is not going to help reduce the rate of homelessness. Additionally, many victims of domestic violence or other crimes often are subject to fleeing to unhabitable places. We should not put victims of abuse or any one at further harm simply because they have no place to stay.

03-05-2025

Mark Core

Vote No on SSB 1195This proposal is wrong on multiple levels. First, it represents yet another moral failing by Iowa's Ruling Party. Adding criminalization as another stigma to being unhoused is unconscionable.But to be morally bankrupt and completely stupid is quite the accomplishment.The Ruling Party needs to address all the complex underlying causes of homelessness, together with the everdwindling resources available to people who are housing insecure. Finally, I would really appreciate it if the Ruling Party would explain what exactly a person experiencing homelessness is supposed to do when they can't camp on private property, waitlists for services is neverending, and now a bill is being proposed that would have the effect of making homelessness a criminal offense.Morally bankrupt and stupid, indeed.

03-05-2025

Robert Lancaster

Please vote no on SSN1195. We believe that housingfirst policies are the best way to reduce homelessness. We believe that all people are deserving of care and support, even if they are not sober. We believe that many of our local service providers are doing good, important work and want to see their resources expanded, not limited.

03-05-2025

Katherine Price

As someone who has experienced homelessness and has also risen above to be an active positive contributor to our state.. I am afraid. I am afraid for all men, women, and children who are in this position. Our homeless shelters have been maxed out capacity wise for years now which forces those who would seek shelter to survive outside. Please show your humanity by voting no for this bill.

03-05-2025

Mai Rose [concerned citizen]

I respectfully urge you to consider voting against this bill. Having worked closely with individuals experiencing homelessness and conducting research on the underlying causes of this issue, I am concerned about the negative impact this legislation may have on our community. By criminalizing the circumstances of those facing homelessness, we risk fostering an environment of fear and retribution. The repercussions are not limited to the unhoused; they will extend to everyone in our community. The prevailing sense of fear and the desperation felt by individuals living paycheck to paycheck will be deeply felt. It is imperative that we consider the broader consequences of this bill and the ripple effect it may create throughout our society. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

03-05-2025

Madison Black

If the lack of humanity presented in this bill does not speak to you, then perhaps the numbers will. Criminalizing homelessness is MORE EXPENSIVE than the housingfirst standard. Numerous studies have shown that housingfirst programs can save thousands of dollars per person in reduced jail, prison, law enforcement, and public safety costs. Enacting this bill will mean that taxpayers are footing the bill for the increased costs associated with expanding police forces and paying their overtime wages, acquiring land to be dedicated for those experiencing homelessness to camp, and jailing those individuals whose existence has now been criminalized. Every dollar spent on these new costs is a dollar diverted from datainformed, evidencebased, proven solutions to ending homelessness.

03-05-2025

Hayley Rauzi

Please vote no on this bill! Placing houseless folks in jail for just trying to sleep does absolutely nothing to address the core problems. Our houseless neighbors need housing solutions, compassion, and resources, not misdemeanors and fines. Many individuals are just one disaster awayfrom experiencing houselessness how would we want to be treated?

03-05-2025

Lori Enloe

VOTE NO to SSB 1195. We need Housing First policies to support individuals experiencing homelessness. Individuals experiencing homelessness do not need additional hurdles like financial hardship and a criminal record standing in their way. What happened to "Freedom to Flourish"? Instead of criminalizing homelessness, why don't you work on improving the services and shelter the bill refers to? That is far more likely to solve or reduce the issue than fines and jail time. Look at the success like Shelter House in Iowa City that have a multifaceted approach to homelessness and focus on housing and job training to name a few.

03-05-2025

Jaylynn Easterly

Vote NO to this bill. Criminalizing activities like unauthorized camping is ineffective and exacerbates the issue. We should be more focused on proven solutions including increasing affordable housing, providing mental health services and offering employment support.

03-05-2025

Brenna Gion

PLEASE vote NO on SSB 1195 and HSB 286. As someone who has lived in Des Moines and Iowa City, the homeless are who need our protection and help the MOST, not to be villainized. This bill does nothing to help Iowans, as we all want ALL IOWANS to do well and prosper, do we not?

03-05-2025

Meredith Pecinovsky

Vote no on this bill. Homelessness is not a crime. Instead of attacking vulnerable populations again and perhaps it may be more beneficial to support and listen to what your community asks of you instead of conforming to out of state think tanks. Address housing, healthcare, and education first.

03-05-2025

KarLee Kearns

Please vote NO on this bill! It criminalizes homelessness, wastes valuable resources, and increases costs for taxpayers. Instead of providing real solutions, it forces unhoused Iowans into a relentless cycle of incarceration and homelessness, further destabilizing communities. Housing, not punishment, is the only true solution to homelessness. This bill is not only inhumane but also fuels the privatized prison system, prioritizing profit over people. Lets invest in real change, not in policies that perpetuate suffering.

03-05-2025

Sherry Hale

Please vote no. This bill should not go forward. It is dangerous, inhumane, and lacks basic understanding of the administration of services that benefit unhoused individuals. It is not a crime to be homeless and any one of us could end up homeless if we lost our job and couldn't find a new one. Please use your power to invest in affordable housing, accessible healthcare, and public education. THAT is how you address homelessness.

03-05-2025

Caitlyn Kupka

This bill is inhumane and does not help those who need it. It is also not cost effective to Iowans. Iowa must not create a revolving door between prison and the street for people who need housing. Arresting and jailing homeless people under laws that criminalize homelessness often cost 23 times the cost of housing and services according to the Seattle University School of Law and several studies.

03-05-2025

Rebecca Poling

Vote NO to SB 1195. This bill further exacerbates discrimination toward people in our community that are in need of your help. Please put your time and efforts toward finding solutions to help them rather than hurt them.

03-05-2025

Marli Callahan [Friends Of the Family ]

03-05-2025

Stephen Logue [None]

Matters of ordinances and fines should be kept at local level, not state level, as towns and cities and rural area have their own unique problems and solutions to these matters. A state supported fund to aid in resolving homelessness that is applied to these jurisdictions makes more sense where regulations could be imposed.Respectfully.

03-05-2025

Christine Hayes

I commend the states attention to the serious concerns that accompany unsheltered homelessness; however, this bill will not advance those concerns. This bill imposes extraordinary burdens of both time and financial resources on local law enforcement, municipalities, and county attorneys. The cost of acquiring or repurposing land, installing the statutorily outlined infrastructure, and both operating and policing proposed encampments is astronomical in already lean budgetary times. Furthermore, the bill speaks only of relocating those experiencing unsheltered homelessness, neither prioritizing nor allocating financial resources to the only proven solution to homelessness: housing. I urge you not to advance this bill and to turn your attention to evidencebased, fiscally responsible solutions that acknowledge the needs for different solutions in different communities in the upcoming legislative session.

03-05-2025

Eliana Mascarenas

Please vote NO on SSB 1195! The criminilization of homeless individuals who have no other choice or option is, to frankly say, inhumane. If you are genuinely concerned about the state of our streets or our evergrowing population of homeless individuals, then you would set up programs to help support this population and help give them the tools needed to no longer be homeless. What will arresting them do? Once they're out of prison, they are stuck in the exact same position that you arrested them it. It is inhumane and a spit in the face of christianity, which I know most of you claim is the root of your reasoning.

03-05-2025

Jessica Bleile

Vote NO on SSB 1195. This bill would increase the rate of homelessness in the state. If we want to end homelessness in Iowa, this cannot be done by criminalizing homelessness. By enforcing fines and arrests and forcing moves to camps we are singling out the most vulnerable to be incarcerated or warehoused rather than helping them find housing. If you or someone you love was experiencing homelessness, would this bill make sense? Would you be okay with having your freedom stripped from you? Instead of these cruel and senseless bills, we need to come together as Iowans and end homelessness with datainformed, evidencebased, proven solutions.

03-05-2025

Carly Weber

Vote no on SSB 1195. Homelessness is already a traumatizing experience without adding in further restrictions, criminalization, and fines. This bill would make exiting homelessness even more difficult, as criminal justice involvement adversely impacts the ability to find a rental unit, and monetary burdens would further diminish the ability to pay a rental deposit and other housing related expenses. Ultimately, this would increase both the rate of homelessness in the state and the length of time to exit to housing. Being unhoused is not a crime and often the reasons leading to it are not either. We should be working on lifting people out of homelessness not removing the safety nets and criminalizing it.

03-05-2025

Jane Robinette

I oppose this bill. Criminalizing homelessness does not help anyone. It will place even more barriers to housing, treatment, and employment for this vulnerable population. Communities in Iowa face challenges regarding homelessness, but the issues and the solutions necessarily must be tailored to the individual communities as they can best find what works for them. Imposing a statewide policy for all Iowa communities will not solve the problem, it will exacerbate it.

03-05-2025

Courtney Guntly

I am deeply concerned about this legislation and the impact it would have on small homeless service providers in rural parts of Iowa. What we know from our Homeless Management Information System data is that there are individuals experiencing homelessness in every county in Iowa. Every. Single. County.This legislation as proposed would require every county or city that has one individual sleeping outside to construct a designated public space for this single individual to sleep. The requirements for this designated public camping space are immensepersonal safety and security measures must be established, running water, restrooms and showers must be available, and partner agencies like behavioral health, substance use, and mental health treatment must be made available. All of this while the state is not allocating additional resources to communities to fund these public camping areas. Instead, this becomes another unfunded mandate for communities. Homeless service providers know what works to end homelessness and to reduce homelessness on our streets. It is an investment in affordable housing and supportive services. Vote NO on this legislation that would harm Iowans.

03-05-2025

Kimberly Caspers

Please vote NO we must address the root cause of homelessness, not punish people or punish those trying to help. This bill will make everything more difficult and burdensome, especially on our police force. Have some empathy for human life.

03-05-2025

Eleanor Dilkes

Please vote NO on this bill and focus on the one thing that has been consistently shown to work in the effort to end homelessness: providing housing. Punishment, forced encampments, fines and jail time will not get us closer to a solution.

03-05-2025

Tucker Olson

I firmly oppose this initiative. Further criminalizing homelessness and implementing further barriers to prevent drug users from accessing services does not solve a problem. It punishes people on hard times. Its inhumane and fails to meet its defined goal.

03-05-2025

Hannah Rublaitus

This bill is despicable and disgusting. Criminalizing those at their lowest is a disgusting act. This is not a solution, rather, a malicious act against any sort of dignity and respect ALL human beings deserve. Why punish when we could help. Is that not what the purpose of our government is? This is yet another cruel and shameful bill against vulnerable populations proving that our government does not even perceive citizens as human beings that deserve BASIC human dignity. VOTE NO!

03-05-2025

JoAnn Mueller

VOTE NO ON SSB1195. These people are Iowa residents and this bill criminalizes a life situation and doesnt provide a viable solution to support Iowans. Do not criminalize homelessness or threaten the organizations (non/profits) doing the daily work to at least try to solve the issue and support the homeless population.

03-05-2025

Kari Chapman

Vote no on this bill. The cure for homelessness is not criminalizing it, and doing so will make things worse for a lot of people. Resources need to be put toward the causes of homelessness and lowering barriers to reentry to being homed.

03-05-2025

nikki marcurella

VOTE NO!!!!!!!Why do people always choose to pick on people that are already at their lowest. This is probably the worst time in their lives and instead of choosing compassion and helping you choose hate. I am beyond embarrassed and disappointed to be an Iowan right now.

03-05-2025

Barbara Magalhães

NO to this bill. Making being homeless is just cruel and inhumane. Let's come up with programs that work to house these individuals so they can move forward. I'm so ashamed that the state seems to be focused on how we can continue to beat down the marginalized, reducing or eliminating programs that help the least of us.

03-05-2025

Dan McBee

Vote No on this bill! This is not a criminal issue; its an affordable housing issue. Criminalizing homelessness will not only be expensive to the taxpayer (we certainly dont need to pay to put more nonviolent offenders in jail), but inhumane as well. I urge our representatives to focus on issues like adequate access to substance abuse treatment and mental health care in Iowa. If the goal is to get people help when they encounter the criminal justice system, I would ask that the state focus on the adoption and creation of drug courts. We currently have agencies using methods that have proven to be effective against longterm homelessness in Iowa. This bill could potentially harm the work that they are already doing and end up taking longterm solutions off the table. The Golden Rule applies here. Homelessness is one of the few problems that are actually solvable. In order to do this, we need to ensure that we are giving our homeless neighbors the dignity and respect with which we would expect to be treated should we find ourselves in the same dire circumstances.

03-05-2025

Matt Sanford

PLEASE VOTE NO. The bill disregards more than a decade of research onand IFA's strong and principled commitment tothe most effective ways to end homelessness via lowbarrier housing with wraparound services.Working on reducing and preventing homelessness is HARD WORK, but short cuts and using force will not help these individuals!

03-05-2025

Madison Rule

I was in disbelief when I heard about this bill then went to further investigate what was in it. I do not understand the point of such flippant cruelty allowed to be passed through the Iowa legislature. HUMAN BEINGS ARE NOT TRASH TO BE SWEPT OFF THE STREET AND DISPOSED OF. If this utter disgrace of a state had any shred of dignity left you would all vote no on this absolutely evil bill, and actually invest in making Iowa a place where people down on their luck and experiencing homelessness have a fighting chance to get back on their feet. Shelters to keep them alive and fed, jobs for them to apply to, apartments for them to rent. Real tangible investment in the people of your state who do not lose their value or humanity just because they are homeless. But that's not how government works. Instead you would rather let thousands of innocent people die (not a stretch from normal I'm sure) for the illusion of cleanliness you absolutely vile tyrants. You'd rather those couple extra pennies line your own pockets and those of your rich friends, you utter disgraces to humanity. No matter what, youll get yours. After all of this is finished your dirty selfserving deeds will be on full display and youll have no money to hide behind.

03-05-2025

Katrina Westfall

VOTE NO. People without homes are not less than those with homes. People without homes get to that point in their lives for a variety of reasons that could include mental health, familial issues, and being born into poverty. The solution is to provide affordable housing, not throw individuals in jail for just existing. With supports and guidance people without homes can improve their life's and get homes there are countless stories out there about people living full life's after facing homelessness. Iowa should be for its people not turning its back on them even those going through a rough time.

03-05-2025

Ashley Velez [Humility Homes & Services, Inc. ]

Please vote no on this proposed bill. I am the CEO of Humility Homes & Services, Inc. in Davenport. We cover 5 counties in Eastern Iowa (Cedar, Muscatine, Clinton, Scott and Jackson County) in a variety of our programming. We have a great working relationship with the Davenport Police in both our housing programs, emergency shelter program and through our street outreach working with those who are unhoused in encampments. The ENTIRE State of Iowa is experiencing housing crisis as minimum wage is not keeping up with inflation and the rising cost of rent. You have hard working Iowans who are working in restaurants, factories etc living unsheltered and going to work. By enforcing this law not only is costly, your police department does not support this and the impact of trauma it will cause individuals living unsheltered, but it will cost you the state money when an individual can't go to work due to the tent being displaced. You have families with children living outside. You are focused on the next generations of Iowans and want to attract individuals to our state, but you have to protect the most vulnerable now in your state as they are exactly the type of people you are working to attract to come here. Please vote no on this bill and take time to meet with sheltering and housing providers to find out what you can do as a state and that is help us create and maintain affordable housing units.

03-05-2025

Rosalyn De Koster

Please vote no on this bill.The lack of affordable housing will not get better with this bill. The cost to the taxpayers if we end up jailing individuals without housing will increase. The fines incurred on the homeless will not make it more likely for them to be able to get out of their situation. This is not community support for people who are down on their luck, this is treating them like criminals, which most of them are not. This is also not allowing local control over cities and counties, which is something that I thought Republicans are for. Instead our funds should go towards affordable housing.Vote no.

03-05-2025

Cara Kayse [Iowa Citizen]

Vote NO on SSB 1195. Listen to the experts and put your energy into solutions that will help our vulnerable Iowans, not punish them and the service providers who support them. Focus on rapid rehousing and properly funding agencies to end homelessness.

03-05-2025

Johnathon Hein

Vote No on SSB 1195. Additional criminal penalties to homelessness will adversely impacts the ability to find a rental unit due to background checks, and criminal penalty monetary burdens would further block those experiencing homelessness from getting in a financially stable spot to get permanent housing. The provisions in this bill likely will reduce the ability for people in Iowa to recover from homelessness.

03-05-2025

Norma Havlik-Smith

Please vote No against this bill. So many of our unhoused commuity members are already struggling to get out of poverty but because of other barriers (unemployment, mental health, physical immobility, substance use) they are stuck and need our support and not another barrier put in front of them. Our unhoused community deserve our humanity. Please, rewrite this bill to provide other mechanisms to remove their challenges and not make another one.

03-05-2025

Jessica Bass

Please vote NO to this bill. Criminalizing homelessness will not solve the root problems people in Iowa are facing. Creating separate camps will only exacerbate the isolation and lack of support people who are homeless are facing. People do not become homeless because they have lots of family and community support. They become homeless because they lack the support they need to thrive. Please focus your efforts in areas of affordable housing and supporting local organizations who are doing the real work of providing resources and walking alongside those facing homelessness.

03-05-2025

Linda Munden

I strongly oppose SSB 1195 due to its numerous harmful impacts on our communities and the unhoused. The bill's enforcement would burden law enforcement, overcrowd jails, and incur significant costs without providing solutions for when shelters are full, leaving many without safe alternatives. Additionally, it creates criminal liability for permanent supportive housing and shelter providers, making it nearly impossible for these providers to retain insurance and thereby reducing the number of experienced providers. Furthermore, increased penalties for organizations and staff helping the unhoused will deter hiring and retention, weakening community responses.Every dollar spent on formal encampments diverts funds from proven solutions to homelessness. The camping provisions resemble detention / internment camps, stripping individuals of freedom and personal agency. Signage requirements violate Iowa law for domestic violence shelters. The bill's penalties are disproportionate and lack funding provisions, making it an unfunded mandate with severe consequences. The extreme changes and criminalization provisions would force providers to suspend services, causing widespread disruption.In conclusion, SSB 1195 exacerbates homelessness, strains resources, and undermines effective solutions. I urge lawmakers to reject this bill.

03-05-2025

Julie Sands

I oppose SSB 1195! It undercuts the amazing and dedicated work of homeless services. This bill counters the work of these services and will siphon funding away from them, as no funding source was listed. The bill is vaguewho will oversee these proposed actions, with what money, and where. The bill criminalizes people trying to survive. Its enforcement would be unduly burdensome and result in overcrowding already full jails. Criminalizing and incarcerating people struggling financially will not solve homelessness.

03-05-2025

Sierra Pope

Vote no please. This legislation will divert resources from proven solutions to homelessness. Iowa must not continue developing revolving doors for people who are experiencing homelessness. Arresting and jailing people experiencing homelessness under laws that criminalize homelessness cost exponentially more than housing and services cost. We must continue investing in permanent solutions to homelessness instead of expensive, temporary options that are being presented from people who are not experts in this field.Homelessness is already a traumatizing experience without adding in further restrictions, criminalization, and fines. This bill would make exiting homelessness even more difficult, as criminal justice involvement adversely impacts the ability to find a rental unit, and monetary burdens would further diminish the ability to pay a rental deposit and other housing related expenses. Ultimately, this would increase both the rate of homelessness in the state and the length of time to exit to housing.

03-05-2025

Jennifer Leatherby

Disgusting dehumanization of people who are victims of poverty. In a state riddled with cancer, where most of the population is one medical emergency from bankruptcy and houselessness. Voting against this legislation is the only morally acceptable response.

03-05-2025

Abby Simbro

Please vote no. Criminalizing homelessness is cruel and does nothing to address the root cause of the issue. Please consider putting your efforts toward legislation aimed at actually eliminating poverty instead of punishing people for it.

03-05-2025

Christina Boeck Crew

OPPOSEThis bill is IMMORAL, REDUNDANT, and COSTLY. Where is the SMALL GOVERNMENT and LOCAL CONTROL?It increases the risk that unhoused Iowans get stuck in a cycle between prison and living unsheltered. The COST of this is passed onto tax payers.This bill creates a mandate for local governments without providing funding, burdening local government and property taxes.The legislation creates enhanced drug crime penalties for activities that are already illegal, stigmatizing those who need help.This bill creates reporting requirements that duplicate existing practices for many organizations, while discouraging community organizations unhoused people.We must not create a costly revolving door between prison and the street for people who need housing.

03-05-2025

Annette Busbee

Vote NO on SSB 1195. Iowa must not continue developing revolving doors for people who are experiencing homelessness. Arresting and jailing people experiencing homelessness under laws that criminalize homelessness cost exponentially more than housing and services cost. We must continue investing in permanent solutions to homelessness instead of expensive, temporary options that are being presented from people who are not experts in this field.

03-05-2025

Angela Evans

This is a step toward encampments for poverty. If you add in dismantling the governments assistance programs. Youre actively causing more poverty and homelessness. Say you have an elderly on government assistance. You cut it now they are out of assistance houses, have no income, kicked out of nursing homes. Then arrested for poverty. With more numbers with federal cuts. Where are you putting them? You will make encampments. This echos of a past we refuse to go back too!

03-05-2025

Jennifer Gardner

Please vote NO on this bill! Rising rents, historically low rental vacancy rates, and the decline of federally subsidized housing have led to a critical shortage of affordable housing units. Nearly half of the entire U.S. renter population is cost burdened. Criminalizing homelessness does not suddenly bridge this affordability gap or create affordable housing units. It only serves to displace homeless people.How about you work on the root causes rather than criminalizing people when they are down?

03-05-2025

Jeffrey Anderson [Iowa Conference of the United Methodist Church]

The Bible states that the poor will be with us always (Mark 14:7). There will always be those who, as a result of their own actions, or actions that are out of their control, find themselves in dire economic straits and wind up with an inability to provide for their basic necessities. However, blaming the homeless for their plight, which the tone of this bill appears to do, lets us off the hook, and allows us to sleep well at night, pray in our churches, and rationalize that the people experiencing homelessness arent the ones our faith or our compassion call us to care for. We are concerned that nothing in this bill addresses the root causes of homelessness, and there doesnt seem to be a pathway that would lead to either better short term sheltering options or to more permanent housing options, which ultimately are needed to address this issue. The bill appears to provide only punitive measures, not support, financial or otherwise, to address the issues of homelessness. If criminalizing homelessness by giving people fines or arresting them and financially penalizing communities that fail to utilize these approaches could end homelessness, we would have ended homelessness long ago. While data collection is of value, we are also concerned that the reporting requirements this bill calls for are unnecessarily burdensome and represent an unfunded mandate that would make it more challenging for both public and private entities, including faithbased nonprofit groups, from providing support to the unsheltered and homeless. We would ask you not to move this bill forward.

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03-05-2025

Pamela McDonald

Please vote NO on SSB1195 and companion bill HSB286. It is a clueless, if not cruel, way to handle homelessness in Iowa. Do you know how many of our population without housing are veterans? Where is their freedom to decide how to live their lives? Respect people's decisions, and stop taking away the freedoms they have left.

03-05-2025

Sharon Harrington [Mrs.]

I oppose SSB 1195. Penalizing the homeless is cruel. It might be far less expensive to provide adequate housing for them, offer work education, more homeless services. I am glad my circumstances did not leave me homeless and poor with nowhere to turn. Charles Dickens would have a field day in Iowa, the books he could write!

03-05-2025

Jenny Chadima

VOTE NO. The criminalization of homelessness does not solve the root issues of poverty, mental health, housing, substance abuse, etc. Punishing people when they're at their lowest is inhumane, cruel, and not the answer to creating solutions for complex issues. Please vote NO.

03-05-2025

Samantha Reynolds

I strongly oppose Iowa Senate Bill 1195, which seeks to criminalize homelessness. This bill is not only inhumane, but it also fails to address the root causes of homelessness, such as lack of affordable housing, mental health services, and economic inequality. Instead of offering support and solutions to those in need, this bill penalizes people for their circumstances.Criminalizing homelessness does not reduce homelessnessit only exacerbates the cycle of poverty and trauma. Individuals experiencing homelessness are already vulnerable, and punishing them with fines or arrests only further isolates them and makes it more difficult to access necessary resources like healthcare, jobs, and housing.Rather than investing in punitive measures, Iowa should focus on creating affordable housing, providing access to mental health care, and expanding social services. We must work toward solutions that empower people to regain stability, not punish them for simply being without a home.I urge lawmakers to reject SSB 1195 and instead focus on compassionate, effective solutions to homelessness that respect the dignity and humanity of all individuals, regardless of their housing status.

03-05-2025

Samantha Reynolds

I strongly oppose Iowa House Bill , which seeks to criminalize homelessness. This bill is not only inhumane, but it also fails to address the root causes of homelessness, such as lack of affordable housing, mental health services, and economic inequality. Instead of offering support and solutions to those in need, this bill penalizes people for their circumstances.Criminalizing homelessness does not reduce homelessnessit only exacerbates the cycle of poverty and trauma. Individuals experiencing homelessness are already vulnerable, and punishing them with fines or arrests only further isolates them and makes it more difficult to access necessary resources like healthcare, jobs, and housing.Rather than investing in punitive measures, Iowa should focus on creating affordable housing, providing access to mental health care, and expanding social services. We must work toward solutions that empower people to regain stability, not punish them for simply being without a home.I urge lawmakers to reject SSB 1195 and instead focus on compassionate, effective solutions to homelessness that respect the dignity and humanity of all individuals, regardless of their housing status.

03-05-2025

Bailey McGrath

Many people experiencing homelessness are victims of abuse, struggling with a mental illness, or struggling with addiction (which is a coping mechanism to deal with a mental illness or trauma). Criminalizing poverty, trauma, and mental health struggles is deplorable. Focus your energies on helping lift Iowans up, not beat them when theyre down.

03-05-2025

Elizabeth Kapp

Please please please try to fix your hearts. Email me, I would love to talk to you about the very real people this cruelly punishes. I cannot imagine a moral code, a worldview, or a faith system that makes this makes sense.

03-05-2025

Linda Grathwohl

Vote no on this bill. We will not end the problem of homelessness by making it a crime to be homeless. We do not have sufficient affordable housing, nor adequate services to help people find employment so as to acquire shelter. The money that would be spent in enforcing this would be better spent in searching to address these needs. Punishing those who are homeless will only make it harder for them to find housing later.

03-05-2025

Peggy Smalley [UWF]

The county treasurers had a similar issue when the Clerk of Court could not collect restitution due another county that prohibited said person owing restitution from registering their vehicle the last day without penalty. That allowed that person to get another ticket etc. Why does legislature want to keep people down & out

03-05-2025

Lindsay Davis

WE MUST vote NO on these bills to criminalize the homeless!! Where do you expect these individuals to go without MORE homeless options such as additional housing and shelters? This is unethical and should be illegal to do this for this population.

03-05-2025

Shawna Riggins

I am not sure why I am commenting anymore because clearly these legislators do not care one bit about feedback from constituents. I OPPOSE HBS SSB 1195. Please focus efforts on measures to support at risk populations rather than criminalize their EXISTENCE.

03-05-2025

Cindy Lefeber

Please vote NO for SSB 1195. Providing better Mental health services and improvements for housing for homeless should be the focus. Spend the money you would use to jail the homeless in providing better care for them! Jail is not the answer, it will notSolve the problem!

03-05-2025

Jessica Andino [Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition]

Vote no on this bill. First, criminalizing homelessness is immoral. No one chooses to be homeless. Many are working families, veterans, or those struggling with illness. Fining or arresting them only makes it harder to find stability. Second, its expensive. It costs far more to police, jail, and hospitalize unhoused individuals than to provide affordable housing. Investing in housingfirst solutions saves millions in taxpayer dollars while actually reducing homelessness. Third, its a public health risk. Without stable housing, people experience higher rates of untreated chronic illness, mental health crises, and infectious diseaseleading to overcrowded emergency rooms and increased healthcare costs for taxpayers. Designated zones for homeless individuals only worsen these disparities by forcing people into unsafe, unsanitary conditions with little access to healthcare or basic services. Criminalization and containment do not solve homelessness; they only deepen the crisis. Fourth, its ineffective. Pushing people from one place to another doesnt solve the crisisit just hides it. We need more housing, not more handcuffs.

03-05-2025

Helen Pollock

Please vote NO on this bill. Homeless people need help, not being pushed into the criminal system. If we had the mental health help what we need, homelessness would not be as bad as it is. I am strongly opposed to this bill!

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03-05-2025

Kathleen Tupker

I strongly implore you to vote NO on this bill. One cannot legislate away the homeless crisis by simply sweeping those affected under the rug. This legislation will divert resources from proven solutions to homelessness. Iowa must not continue developing revolving doors for people who are experiencing homelessness. Homelessness is already a traumatizing experience without adding in further restrictions, criminalization, and fines. This bill would make exiting homelessness even more difficult, as criminal justice involvement adversely impacts the ability to find a rental unit, and monetary burdens would further diminish the ability to pay a rental deposit and other housing related expenses. Ultimately, this would increase both the rate of homelessness in the state and the length of time to exit to housing.

03-05-2025

Antonio Ivarra

Vote no. This bill is particularly insidious because it treats noncompliance as a choice (see lines 610 about offering a 'warning'). Shelters become full. Many shelters are seasonal and close for parts of the year. Resources for folks experiencing homelessness like rent assistance, permanent supportive housing, and case management are insufficient because our legislature and federal government care more about corporate subsidies and enabling genocides abroad. People camp in public spaces because they experience tremendous circumstances (poverty, abuse, trauma, brain health, physical health, etc. issues) that leave them marginalized and ignored. Criminalization is not a deterrent. Further criminal legal involvement only makes it more difficult for persons experiencing homelessness to find a rental unit, pay a security deposit, or access other resources. If you're unwilling to talk and collaborate with local housing nonprofits and civic leaders, take my word for it. I work with justice involved individuals, many facing homelessness and housing insecurity, every day and sending them to jail does not help them get safely housed in the long term.

03-05-2025

marlee myers

SF 1195 does nothing to solve homelessnessit just punishes people for being poor. Criminalizing people for sleeping in public spaces doesnt make the problem go away; it just pushes vulnerable Iowans further into crisis. If lawmakers actually cared about public safety, theyd invest in affordable housing, mental health services, and real solutionsnot fines and jail time. Stop attacking the most vulnerable and start addressing the root causes. Vote NO on SF 1195.

03-05-2025

Angela Cunigan

Making something illegal doesn't fix the issue. It simply makes it worse, by filling up our courts, and jails, and using more tax payer money that could be used to help provide housing and more mental health services to prevent homelessness in the first place.

03-05-2025

Brian Carter [Iowa United Methodist Church Board of Church and Society]

Vote NO on this bill. I have been helping a homeless man living on disability SSI for the last 23 years. I was his pastor in Des Moines. He has had to camp in woods sometimes. But he is not a criminal. He is never stolen nor robbed anyonethough he has often been the victim of robbery, and he has tried to help other homeless people when he has a little extra.He is homeless because his income is insufficient to rent an apartment and buy food and other necessities like clothes. I have helped him with all these things because I am a Christian and I believe it is my duty. I also try to get him help with his mental illness. Homelessness can be eliminated with good paying jobs, affordable housing, and affordable food. We need to raise the minimum wage, build more low income housing and provide services for the mentally ill. Not this bill.

03-05-2025

Kathy Baker

Vote NO to Two bills that were introduced yesterday, HSB 286 in the Iowa House and SSB 1195 in the Iowa Senate. I oppose both of these bills which would legislate a statewide camping ban with criminal penalties for people experiencing homelessness, encourage a policy of setting up sanctioned camps to segregate homeless people into designated places, and would impose financial penalties for jurisdictions that refuse to enforce the camping ban.The Language in these bills could also result in penalizing homeless services providers, nonprofit groups (including faithbased groups) that are already providing homeless services. I am concerned that these bills will funnel people into the criminal justice system for being unhoused, while making it harder to sustain any alternative initiatives aimed at reducing the root causes of homelessness. These bills penalize people for being poor and unable to afford a place to live safely. Our state and communities need to work on a solution and not penalties for the homeless who have no other or limited choices but to live in a camp.

03-05-2025

Jim & Carol Klauser

Criminalizing homelessness is punishing people for circumstances beyond their control rather than addressing the root causes of the issue. Many people experiencing homelessness face challenges such as job loss, mental illness, disability, or lack of affordable housing. Criminalizing their situation only makes it harder for them to find employment, secure housing, access necessary services. Instead, compassionate and effective solutionssuch as affordable housing programs, mental health support, and job training help break the cycle of homelessness rather than worsening it. VOTE NO ON THIS BILL!

03-05-2025

Susan Ray

I urge you to vote NO on SSB 1195. Criminalizing homelessness does not reduce it. You are failing to address the root causes of housing insecurity in Iowa. Rather than offering real solutions, this bill penalizes our most vulnerable neighbors for their circumstances, making it even harder for them to access stable housing and support services.By prioritizing punitive measures over proven, compassionate strategies, SSB 1195 will exacerbate the very crisis it claims to address. Instead of fines and arrests, we need real solutions: affordable housing, mental health services, and job support. Lets focus on getting people into stable homes, not pushing them further into crisis.Criminalization does not reduce homelessnessit only forces people further into the margins, making it more difficult for them to find employment, secure housing, and rebuild their lives. Instead of pushing individuals out of public spaces, we must invest in permanent housing solutions, mental health services, and job training programs that offer real pathways to stability.Please oppose SSB 1195 instead advocate for policies that prioritize dignity, support, and evidencebased solutions to homelessness. Use your power to create real, longlasting solutions to the homelessness in Iowa. Iowa can and must do better for its residents.I'm begging you to care about other human beings' lives not just your own.

03-05-2025

Jennifer Brown

Please, vote no on this bill. Every single time a government body has criminalized a social problem, the result has only been to increase the toll of that problem on the taxpayers, law enforcement, and the overall level of human suffering in the district. And for those who represent overwhelmingly Christian districts, it is also not a Christlike response to conflict. Again, please, for all our sakes, vote no.

03-05-2025

Jennifer Brown

03-05-2025

Leslie Schwalm

Please reject this terrible bill. Iowans want a compassionate approach to ending homelessness. This is not compassionate. Please listen to the expertsthe people who actually work daily to support people who need housing.

03-05-2025

Jennifer Berteloth

No!!! Do you not understand that there are individuals that CANNOT thrive as a normal functioning member of society? Has anyone that is voting yes to this spent any time with the homeless population? This is not ok. Who benefits from this??? Why is it even coming up? Are you going to provide services after each jail incident? Youre criminalizing a population that is struggling to survive daily. I have worked with the homeless for 12 years. How can being unhoused be criminal????

03-05-2025

Irene DeMaris

Oppose SSB 1195 Love Our Neighbors, Dont Criminalize ThemAs a Christian, I believe we are called to love our neighbors, especially the most vulnerable. SSB 1195 does the oppositeit punishes our unhoused neighbors simply for having nowhere to go. With most shelters at or near capacity, this bill would fine and jail people for trying to survive, forcing them into a cycle of incarceration and deeper instability.Criminalizing homelessness does not solve the problem; it only makes it worse. Instead of offering real solutions like housing, mental health care, and supportive services, this bill pushes people further into crisis and penalizes the faithbased and community groups working to help them.Iowa must not turn its back on those in need like the city of Des Moines did. I urge you to oppose SSB 1195 and support policies that offer real hope and help.

03-05-2025

Natalie Leathers [Table to Table]

Please vote NO on this bill!!!! Poverty, homelessness, and food food insecurity are inextricably linked. The only solution for homelessness is housing, not criminalization. This bill undermines the work being done in the community every day to end homelessness: 1) It criminalizes the already traumatizing experience of unsheltered homelessness;2) It calls for warehousing and registering people in formalized municipal encampments;3) It handicaps organizations providing services by making us criminally liable for activity that occurs off of agency property, over which we have no legal control. And in the event that happens, the bill prohibits an organization from receiving state funding for three years; and4) The bill is not only an unfunded mandate, but an unfunded mandate with both monetary fines and incarceration for noncompliance.

03-05-2025

Jayme Hunter

VOTE NO on this bill. Criminalizing homelessness is cruel, counterproductive, and irresponsible and does not help to solve any problems. We need real solutions like housing, mental health support, and addiction treatment not punishment.

03-05-2025

Brittany Brooke Crow

This bill has many issues, particularly the penalties it imposes on our most vulnerable neighbors. It makes sleeping or seeking shelter on public property a misdemeanor. That means people without housing could receive up to 30 days in jail and fines ranging from $105 to $855. Division III of the bill criminalizes houseless individuals taking their prescribed medications in designated service areas. Service providers who allow them to do so could face an aggravated misdemeanor, punishable by up to two years in jail and fines between $855 and $8,540. All for allowing someone to take their doctorprescribed medication. I work with an organization that provides critical heat supplies during the winter because without them, people freeze to death. Many of these individuals want to work but lack basic access to showers and laundry. Instead of punishing them with fines and jail time, we should increase services. We should help our neighbors, not harm them. I urge you to reject this bill. Thank you.

03-05-2025

Zoe Frey

I worked for Iowa Homeless Youth Centers IHYC for 2 years and it was the most rewarding, yet most challenging experience, and I only left because of the lack of support from both leadership and the community.I worked with the most brilliant, kind, creative and hilarious humans. 1624 year olds who were at risk or already homeless. They wanted nothing more than to feel accepted and supported, and my coworkers and I tried so hard to always show up as we could. But society, the community and the government, always saw them very differently.It frustrates and irritates my soul that there are even thoughts about criminalizing the unhoused. While they are resilient, they are also beaten down, spit at and seen as less than. But they are human. Better than most humans I've met to be honest. Caring, compassionate, willing to do anything for anyone. And they are being targeted, yet again. In September of 2024, City Council CHOSE to criminalize homelessness. Today, Iowa Government is proposing to spread that across the state. Please do not do this.I spoke in front of City Council in September. I shared about someones life who was impacted because of chronic homelessness. He died trying to please everyone, including the government by paying fines, sleeping outside, saving for a place, etc. He deserved more and so does every other unhoused person. I care deeply because I have met fantastic humans who have passed away, ultimately because of homelessness. The systems have failed them. Their families, the government, the lack of resources, etc. Please help. Please support. You are needed to show up and make a difference. Please vote NO.

03-05-2025

Steven Kahler [.]

I encourage you to vote no on SSB 1195. Criminalizing and segregating the unhoused/unsheltered population is not an act of justice. Funding shelters, food kitchens, and programs established to remedy the various issues which are the root cause of homelessness is a better use of societal resources.

03-05-2025

Anita Johnson

Please do not let this bill go forward. Because of my position in a downtown church in Iowa, I became acquainted with many homeless persons. I will admit the interactions were not always positive, and I selfishly felt they were interrupting my workday, but I am grateful for getting to know them as real people and to become more familiar with the people who work in homeless shelters. The homeless have complex problems that are not easily fixed and providers of services to the homeless work tirelessly for them. I would invite the legislators who are prescribing punishment and withdrawal of funds to get to know some homeless people and consult with those who provide services. Perhaps then money could be used a tool instead of a weapon to uplift Iowans.

03-05-2025

Gina Hausknecht

Please do not advance this bill. Our fellow Iowans who find themselves homeless and the hardworking, evidencebased organizations that help them need more support, not this interference with and diminishment of practices that work. Homelessness should not be further criminalized; Iowans who are already struggling with an extreme lack of resources should not hit with additional fines. Creating more sanctions for already illegal activities does not move toward real solutions.

03-05-2025

Marshall James [North of Grand Neighborhood Association]

This bill is reckless and cruel, and it does nothing to actually address the homeless crisis. This merely punishes the most impoverished people in our communities. Specifically the ban on agencies from helping people on medication is actively detrimental to any attempt to help homeless people with mental health conditions how are they supposed to get out of their desperate situation if they cannot take medication for their condition? Has anyone who has actually worked with the homeless been involved with the creation of this bill? Does this bill do anything to prevent future people from falling into homelessness? Does this bill address the lack of shelter space to accommodate all the homeless Iowans who are already living in the margins? Is this a bill Jesus would support? Would Christ want to see the governments of man punish and fine the least among us?My God forgive anyone who can support such a cruel piece of work. That this is even being considered is repugnant. Shame on those who would do this to the worst off in our society.

03-05-2025

Brian Middleswarth

I oppose this bill for several reasons1)The way section 716.15 seems to be written you could not sleep at public rest stops on long drives unless (perhaps) you register with the local political subdivision? If there is none, can you just not do it? It is written so broadly that any number of occasions where such sheltering might happen seems to be outlawed regardless of whether you are 2)What does it mean to allow on individual accessing services to possess or use a controlled substance on the premises of the facility? Does that mean something beyond posting it is a drug free area? What if the person accessing the facility hides the substance on their person is that a violation on the part of the facility? The homeless shelters I have associated with and that I know people use strive to be safe and prevent the use of controlled substances on their property. However, especially in Iowa where being outside can be a death sentence in winter their primary purpose is to keep people alive. This section is too vague.3)The definition of DrugFree homeless service zone could include things happening a football field away from the facility on a public street. How is the facility supposed to police that? This seems designed not to make things safer, but to get homeless shelters into legal trouble.4)Im all for collecting more data to track things that are happening in our state. However, is additional money included to hire or pay the staff required to accurately track all of that information? As a pastor, I have worked with people who have been homeless through no fault of their own. I know how inadequate our system of aid is for them here in Iowa even when they want to get help. I know the challenges faced by shelters and those who need them related to balancing safety, the rights of those using them, and the real consequences in Iowa of people being outside in the cold. Im not sure that this bill provides real solutions to the problem. Instead it seems to want to push it out of sight. I would urge the legislature to listen to those who are doing the work and provide the resources needed to move Iowans back into stable shelter.

03-05-2025

Mason Koelm

Vote NO to SSB1195. This bill will only serve to increase costs for Iowans and perpetuate cycles of homelessness without providing any additional resources. Listen to professionals, listen to Iowans, and listen to what is right. Vote NO.

03-05-2025

Dawn Moriarty

This bill will not help the homeless people (adults AND children) address the issues that are needed to help with the how and why of their situation. To criminalize homeless will be detrimental in their ability to receive the help they need (as well overload the Judicial system, especially the jails, that is already dealing with an overload of cases with not enough attorneys to handle them. A number of the homeless people are Veterans who are dealing with multiple issues including mental health, which makes it more difficult to find stability. Vote NO on this bill.

03-05-2025

Warren Western

I urge you to vote NO on this SB1195. These people need help not punishment. People become homeless for many different reasons and making it a crime to not camp in the right place to help them makes the problem worse and cost more than helping them. As other comments have stated, some have reasons for not being in a shelter due to pets, belongings and not feeling save. Our congregation is making sleeping mat out of recycled plastic bags for homeless individuals. We have been delivering them to Green Square Meals which does an good job of providing a good meal to homeless individuals. The mats are very popular. These people need help getting any treatment they need and assistance finding solutions. Also assistance like rent assistance, job training, food pantries can prevent people struggling from becoming homeless.

03-05-2025

Diane Jones

Vote NO on this bill. Poverty is not a crime, hoarding wealth is the crime against humanity. How does this bill help the least of us? It criminalizes the unhoused while entire buildings and second homes sit empty. Republicans who claim to live their Christian faith should be ashamed.

03-05-2025

Roberta Maltas

It's too early to vote yes on this bill. It is fraught with duplicity in enforcement and reporting. At this time, there is cooperation between law enforcement and shelter providers, but this will undo that working relationship. The laws listed in this bill are already illegal; there's no need for the redundancy. Making homelessness a crime is shameful because there are a precious few of us who are merely 6 months of joblessness away from the same situation ourselves and if it was us, we'd insist someone be there to help, not place us in a detention camp or a jail cell. Everyone knows that if you have a record, it's that much harder to find housing so by incarcerating the unhoused, we're further complicating an already overcomplicated situation. Why can't we slow down, have discussions about possible solutions, and rather than spend more money on what this bill will cost the taxpayers put the money into creating housing alternatives that actually are safe and available?

03-05-2025

Rev. Lee Schott [Collegiate United Methodist Church & Wesle Foundation]

Please say NO to SB 1195. The criminalization of homelessness will not reduce homelessness. It will increase costs to the state and place added burdens on people who are already just trying to get through the day, and the night. Unwaivable mandatory fees and, under the bill, a criminal record, will make it that much harder for these individuals to become housed. This bill doesn't stop there, but also places additional burdens and risks on people trying to support persons who are unhoused. This will only increase the problem.True, responsible work on how to reduce the number of individuals who are unhoused in Iowa will require work on things like medical care, a living wage, affordable child care, and good education. Please turn your attention to those matters, which need your attention and WILL make a difference.

03-05-2025

jae childers

This legislation will do harm not only to unhoused Iowans but the state as a whole. Arresting and jailing people who experiences homelessness under laws that criminalize it cost exponentially more than housing and services cost. Tax money and efforts are better spent investing in permanent solutions to homelessness instead of the temporary and expensive options being presented by individual who are not experts in the field. This legislation is in direct opposition to the suggestions of experts and research findings on homelessness.

03-05-2025

Martha McClurg

I am a Cedar Rapids resident who regularly engages with and serves the unhoused population in my community. Please vote NO to this legislation and do not allow it to pass out of committee! Instead of providing housing, which is the evidencebased recommendation for assisting those who are unhoused, this bill would instead use funding to create a homeless camp. This would solve no problems and likely only add more, resulting in an increased burden on local law enforcement and already overcrowded jails. Regarding this bill's focus on drugrelated crimes these are already crimes, we do not need additional laws for these offences. I am proud of how my city has worked collaboratively with local law enforcement and nonprofits to help serve our unhoused population and want that work to continue. This legislation would cripple such positive efforts and result in increased expenditures for my community.

03-05-2025

Sara Wodka

In my work with homeless students, veterans, elders, youth, and families, I have learned that everyone has the right to dignity. Some of the most hardworking and pleasant people Ive ever known were at one point, homeless or camping. This bill does not uphold American values nor the values of our great state of Iowa, whose state motto is Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain. Everyone in our great state deserves the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our homeless Iowans are no exception, and I beg of you to vote NO on this bill. For those who are of the Christian faith, I would ask you to think on the words and life of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, I was homeless and you gave me no bed, I was shivering and you gave me no clothes, sick and in prison, and you never visited. God has wrath for those who do not bless the poor, house the homeless, help the sick. I beg of you to do the right thing and vote no on this bill. Together we can work to better tackle homelessness in Iowa, but this bill is not the way.

03-05-2025

Hayley Crabb

I am opposed to this proposed legislation, for many reasons. Perhaps the economic argument against it will have the greatest impact this will be extremely costly to implement. And I believe that our local law enforcement should retain the ability to make decisions as it relates to folks who are unhoused.

03-05-2025

Eric Aschbrenner

I strongly oppose Senate Study Bill 1195, as it criminalizes poverty rather than offering meaningful solutions to homelessness. By imposing penalties on individuals for sleeping in public spaces without sufficient alternatives and restricting local governments from implementing humane, effective policies, this bill exacerbates the crisis instead of addressing it. Punitive measures will only push vulnerable individuals further into instability rather than providing them with pathways to housing and recovery. Instead of criminalization, we should focus on expanding access to affordable housing, increasing funding for emergency shelters, and strengthening supportive services such as mental health care, substance use treatment, and job training programs. SSB 1195 will perpetuate the cycle of homelessness, burdening law enforcement and the judicial system while failing to address its root causes. I urge you to vote NO on this bill and instead support evidencebased solutions that prioritize housing stability, dignity, and longterm success for individuals experiencing homelessness.

03-05-2025

Caitlyn Wang

03-05-2025

Nora Boerner

I am opposed to this expensive and ill conceived legislation. It removes decision making from local law enforcement and local government. It is an ineffective solution to a complex issue. As a Christian who interacts with and cares for unhoused folks multiple days a week, I am opposed to this legislation.

03-05-2025

Crissy Canganelli

As a homeless service provider who has worked in the field for nearly three decades, I'd like to first thank the subcommittee for bringing the issue of unsheltered homelessness in our state to the attention of this legislative body. As you each know, rising housing costs and extraordinary shifts in the provision of health care have caused increases in both sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in communities across Iowa. Locally, we have worked hard in our region to build the strong and lasting relationships of mutual respect and trust we are so very grateful to have with other partners within our community's crisis response team. Our Sheriff, Police, and Fire Departments, our Ambulance Services, and our VA Medical Center and UIHC rely on us to provide competent, evidencebased care to many of the same individuals they see struggling in our community. And as we have earned their respect and trust, so too have they gained ours. And so, I write on behalf of homeless service providers, yes, but also with serious concerns about what this bill would mean for the ability of our crisis responders to make informed decisions that prioritize what they know, through their work experience and expertise on issues in our communities, are the right solutions for their community. I am further concerned about the significant financial and temporal cost of this bill. Acquiring land, building infrastructure, dedicating staff, and increasing nights in jail will have a deleterious impact on cities and crisis responders who must decide what services to decrease or cut in order to have the time and financial resources to comply with the letter of the law. And, of course, as a lifelong provider of services to individuals experiencing homelessness in our community, it would be disingenuous for me not to note my grave concerns that this bill requires communities to spend exorbitant amounts of money without requiringor allocatinga single dollar on the one datainformed, evidencebased, proven solution to homelessness: housing. I urge you to abandon this bill and propose proven solutions that crisis responders, homeless service providers, and the medical community all agree on in the next legislative session.

03-05-2025

nikki ingram

This bill is fundamentally flawed and should be rejected. It criminalizes homelessness by targeting those who have nowhere to go, effectively pushing them further into the shadows. The measures proposed, such as unauthorized use of public land and penalties for camping, are not solutions but rather punitive actions that violate basic human rights. This approach not only fails to address the root causes of homelessness but also undermines constitutional protections by treating vulnerable populations as criminals rather than individuals in need of support.

03-05-2025

Ashley Merkley

Please vote No on this bill. Homeless Iowans are already struggling and legislation like this that would criminalize their attempts to build shelter for themselves when many of them have situations that don't allow them to access shelter elsewhere (pets, trying to get sober, etc.) is wrong. We need to help homeless Iowans and criminalizing and enforcing penalties on their dire situation is not the moral or compassionate way to do so. We need to help our fellow Iowans and this bill would cause them more harm. It speaks that the Iowa Homeless Coalition, United Ways of Iowa, and the ACLU of Iowa have all registered against this bill, as all of these organizations have missions to help people. Homeless Iowans are living in poverty and charging them fines for just trying to survive is outright cruel and not helpful to anyone, especially not those directly impacted by not having adequate shelter. Please vote no on this bill and find ways to help homeless Iowans and not further harm them; they deserve our compassion and to not have to fear retaliation and criminal fines. Additionally, many people have health conditions that can cause them to fall asleep, even in public, such as Narcolepsy, a sleeping disorder that impacts the sleepwake cycle and causes sleep attacks, so the part of this bill dealing with sleeping in public will harm everyone first and foremost, homeless Iowans, yes, but also anyone who has any sort of health condition (or doesn't) that happens to unintentionally fall asleep in a public place. This bill has many harmful implications. Please choose compassion, vote no, and find a way to help our homeless Iowans.

03-05-2025

Ellen McCabe

Vote NO on SSB 1195. No funding appears to accompany the directives included in the bill. How are communities supposed to pay for law enforcement personnel to charge, track, and jail individuals and families who are unsheltered? This activity would divert attention away from behaviors we all agree are illegal. The cost of requiring law enforcement to compensate for the lack of affordable housing could be directed to housing solutions instead of increasing the trauma experienced by people who are homeless.

03-05-2025

Joseph Norman

Please vote No on the proposed legislation. This bill is not a solution for the problem of homelessness in our state. The research shows that permanent supportive housing produces the optimal results for the population that would be most affected by this bill but also the best overall community results for peace and quality of life for all involved. This bill will unduly increase the burden on law enforcement and will result in more inefficiency and worse outcomes for the homeless. There are better options for our community that will both serve this population and serve the public welfare. Please consider the research and data available that demonstrates the practices that have the best results. Please vote no on this bill.

03-05-2025

Amy Croll

I have several concerns with this legislation. Outside of the basic concept that charging people with a crime doesn't help them get housing, this legislation has significant challenges when considering our current state of our behavioral health system, which is currently under extreme stress with the merger. To state folks are going to get services when they already don't get services they qualify for before the transition of the system is a farce. Cities have already done their budgets. This would require an increase in property taxes to staff it, even if it was a good idea (which it's not). After doing the Point in Time count this January, 90% of the people I interviewed had a brain injury. Those who remained separated from others did it for their own safety and the safety of others. Those who were in their own unsheltered "neighborhoods" watched out for each other. Everyone wants to be housed, but not everyone can be around others like this suggests. Housing is the solution to homelessness. Fund tax incentives. Fund supportive services. Institute eviction expungement. Institute housing choice vouchers prioritization goes to those who are homeless first. Require Housing First. These are things that will actually make a difference in homeless service efforts. Vote no to this proposal.

03-05-2025

Deborah Eastin

I don't know think the way to solve the homelessness is to criminalize the victim. Policies of our federal and state governments have only made it harder for the less fortunate in our state to care for themselves. Funding has been cut to line the pockets of the rich. Now we want to make it a crime to be homeless. The wording of the bill is vague enough to allow all sorts of restrictions on those that are trying to help the homeless.Why not spend some time and money on finding a viable solution to why these people are homeless.Such actions as this bill will be remembered in the future and not to the credit of those who vote for it.

03-05-2025

Julia Crowley

I'm strongly opposed to Senate Study Bill 1195 and its companion House Study Bill 286. This bill goes against provider expertise and recommendations, proven best practices, and a longstanding history of research, and, if made into law, will exacerbate homelessness in our state. The solution to homelessness is housing, not criminalization.Here is a brief summary of concerns to these bills:1) It criminalizes and fines people who are experiencing homelessness without addressing what would happen in the common event that a shelter is full.2) It calls for warehousing people in formal encampments, rather than helping them find housing. Encampment zones without additional funding to have qualified, skilled staff to support individuals and families will create isolated service gaps and increase barriers to accessing services.3) It makes housing and shelter providers accountable for activities occurring on others' private property and over which they have no legal right to enter, monitor, or control behaviors.4) It is redundant in its provisions by placing extreme consequences for already illegal activities.5) The bill further penalizes organizations if these prohibited activities occur off of their property by making them ineligible to receive state funding for three years.6) The bill is not committing funding to new measures proposed and will cost our community significantly to enforce.This legislation will divert resources from proven solutions to homelessness. Iowa must not continue developing revolving doors for people who are experiencing homelessness. Arresting and jailing people experiencing homelessness under laws that criminalize homelessness cost exponentially more than housing and services cost. We must continue investing in permanent solutions to homelessness instead of expensive, temporary options that are being presented from people who are not experts in this field.Homelessness is already a traumatizing experience without adding in further restrictions, criminalization, and fines. This bill would make exiting homelessness even more difficult, as criminal justice involvement adversely impacts the ability to find a rental unit, and monetary burdens would further diminish the ability to pay a rental deposit and other housing related expenses. Ultimately, this would increase both the rate of homelessness in the state and the length of time to exit to housing.

03-05-2025

Charlie Nelson

This bill is absolutely disgusting. Whatever happened to helping the needy & giving to those without?Punishing those who are already at a disadvantage will solve nothing. These people need support, not a mark on their record that will further inhibit their ability to get jobs in the future; isn't that the sole advice inconsiderate people give to the homeless? (that being telling them to simply get a job).Oppose this bill, or oppose your humanity.

03-05-2025

Ellen Malven

Please vote NO on this bill. It simply isn't practical to arrest everyone who is struggling and can't afford housing, especially with cost of living climbing and available/affordable housing being so scarce. There have to be better (and more humane) solutions. You don't necessarily have to adopt policies that give away nostrings housing to accept that criminalizing an attempt to survive isn't a sustainable solution. It doesn't have to be one way or the other (stringsfree housing vs. criminalizing homelessness). People have no choice but to break the law when being involuntarily homeless makes them criminals, especially if aid groups aren't allowed to help them with government funds. These people cannot magically disappear and they must live and exist somewhere. Let's work together to figure out some compromise and commonsense solutions, please.

03-05-2025

Jennifer Kelso

VOTE NO. Yet another disgraceful bill by this legislature. While more and more people are one paycheck away from being homeless, instead of doing literally ANYTHING to help make life more affordable, you people choose to treat homelessness as a failure of morality. Par for the course from nothing but a bunch of "Christian" hypocrites.

03-05-2025

Sally Olsen

Cedar Rapids is fortunate to have organizations who have a long record of compassionate community service. I have seen the positive results through the years and support these organizations financially. We do not need laws to criminalize homelessness. We need a higher minimum wage so people can afford food and housing. We need the state government to financially support the organizations that are successfully housing the homeless and getting them employed. Trying to criminalize successful community organizations makes no sense at all. Vague laws don't help anyone.

03-05-2025

Cassidy Rea

Do not pass this bill. I worked in homeless services for two years. Criminalizing homelessness does not prevent homelessness. It actually makes it harder for people to get into permanent housing. Furthermore, this bill takes away local power to deal with homelessness in the way that is best for each community. Republicans say they like local government, but here they are taking away the power of local government by mandating a statewide policy that cities must follow. Local governments should be able to decide local problems.

03-05-2025

Sherri Love-May [Family Crisis Center]

This bill definitely should not move forward.....It is clearly not well written and extremely vague. It does not align with the needs of the most vulnerable population in the state of Iowa and will become a larger issue concerning, safety, health (physical and mental), economic suffering ect. Write a new bill with consideration of all of the above, write a new bill that creates sustainable positive outcomes. Listen to those of us that work on the front lines concerning housing stability, health, safety for the communities and individuals/families. This bill is frankly an embarrassment to this great state, collectively we can and must do better than this, we are people of Iowa, we do not need copycat, one fits all bill (s) this needs shut down and revisited.

04-26-2025

India May

This type of legislation puts helpers between a rock and a hard place and then criminalizes them. It dehumanizes addicts. The average number of recovery attempts for an addict is 57 before they can get clean, and in the meantime, we should focus on improving our mental health care and promoting prevention efforts. What a cruel and ineffectual bill.

09-08-2025

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09-08-2025

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