CHAPTER 31
COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS
265—31.1(16) Organization.
	31.1(1) Location. The main office of the council is located at the offices of the Iowa finance authority, located at the address set forth in rule 265—1.3(16). Office hours for the council shall be 8 a.m.	to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. Written requests may be submitted to the council at this address. Information about the council is available at this website address: www.iowafinanceauthority.gov. The council’s telephone numbers are: (515)725-4900 (general); 1-800-432-7230 (toll-free); 1-800-618-4718 (TTY); and (515)725-4901 (facsimile).
	31.1(2) Council members and staff. The powers of the council are vested in and exercised by 38 voting members appointed by the governor in accordance with Iowa Code section 16.2D. The 26 voting members selected from the general public shall each serve a two-year term. Terms shall be staggered so half of the voting members are appointed in one year and half are appointed in the year thereafter. Initially, the council shall, as soon as all members have been appointed, promptly elect a chairperson and a vice chairperson, both to a term not to exceed two years ending in May. The chairperson and vice chairperson shall not both be either general public members or agency director members. Thereafter, the chairperson and vice chairperson positions shall rotate between agency director members and general public members so that the chairperson and vice chairperson shall not both be either general public members or agency director members at the same time. Staff assistance and administrative support shall be provided by the Iowa finance authority as approved by the executive director.
	31.1(3) Council action. A majority of the members of the council shall constitute a quorum. Any action taken by the council must be adopted by an affirmative vote of a majority of its membership.
	31.1(4) Meetings. Regular meetings of the council shall be held on the third Friday of the following months: January, March, May, July, September, and November, unless another time of meeting is designated by the council. Meetings may also be held at the call of the chairperson or whenever a majority of the members so request. The council shall comply with the requirements of Iowa Code chapters 21 and 22. Interested parties are encouraged to attend and participate in council meetings where feasible.
	31.1(5) Committees. The council shall form an executive committee consisting of the council’s chairperson, vice chairperson, and seven members, one of whom shall be the immediate past chairperson if a current member of the council. The chairperson shall appoint the remaining members of the executive committee. The executive committee shall be responsible for reviewing and making recommendations for amendments or changes to the internal rules of procedure. The executive committee shall carry out the business of the council between regularly scheduled council meetings. A majority of the members of the executive committee shall constitute a quorum. Any action taken by the executive committee must be adopted by an affirmative vote of a majority of its members.
	a. 	Nominating committee. The nominating committee shall initially consist of all 12 agency director members. Following the initial appointment of the general public members to the council, the council shall annually at its March meeting elect six members, three of whom shall be agency director members and three of whom shall be general public members. The chairperson of the council shall also be a voting member. The nominating committee shall nominate persons to the governor to fill the general public member positions when they become open. A majority of the members of the nominating committee shall constitute a quorum. Any action taken by the nominating committee must be adopted by an affirmative vote of a majority of its members.
	b. 	Other committees. Other committees may be assembled by the executive committee to carry out various responsibilities of the council. A majority of the members of such a committee shall constitute a quorum. Any action taken by a committee must be adopted by an affirmative vote of a majority of its members.
	c. 	Informal working groups. Informal working groups may be assembled from time to time by the chairperson for various tasks.
[ARC 7704B, IAB 4/8/09, effective 5/13/09; ARC 2005C, IAB 5/27/15, effective 7/1/15; ARC 4319C, IAB 2/27/19, effective 4/3/19]
265—31.2(16) Duties of the council. The duties of the council shall be to:
	1.	Develop a process for evaluating state policies, programs, statutes, and rules to determine whether any state policies, programs, statutes, or rules should be revised to help prevent and alleviate homelessness.
	2.	Evaluate whether state agency resources could be more efficiently coordinated with other state agencies to prevent and alleviate homelessness.
	3.	Work to develop a coordinated and seamless service delivery system to prevent and alleviate homelessness.
	4.	Use existing resources to identify and prioritize efforts to prevent persons from becoming homeless and to eliminate factors that keep people homeless.
	5.	Identify and use federal and other funding opportunities to address and reduce homelessness within the state.
	6.	Work to identify causes and effects of homelessness and increase awareness among policymakers and the general public.
	7.	Advise the governor’s office, the Iowa finance authority, state agencies, and private organizations on strategies to prevent and eliminate homelessness.
	8.	Make annual recommendations to the governor regarding matters which impact homelessness on or before September 15.
	9.	Prepare and file with the governor and the general assembly on or before the first day of December in each odd-numbered year a report on homelessness in Iowa.
	10.	Assist in the completion of the state’s continuum of care application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
[ARC 7704B, IAB 4/8/09, effective 5/13/09]
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code sections 16.5(1)“r” and 16.2D.
[Filed emergency 12/22/08—published 1/14/09, effective 12/22/08]
[Filed ARC 7704B (Notice ARC 7514B, IAB 1/14/09), IAB 4/8/09, effective 5/13/09]
[Filed ARC 2005C (Notice ARC 1864C, IAB 2/4/15), IAB 5/27/15, effective 7/1/15]
[Filed ARC 4319C (Notice ARC 4196C, IAB 1/2/19), IAB 2/27/19, effective 4/3/19]