The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Board of Directors recently awarded $900,937 in grants to twenty-one organizations to assist homeless and domestic violence shelters with costs associated with providing essential services and emergency shelter operations. The funding is made available through the Shelter Assistance Fund program. IFA Executive Director Dave Jamison said Monday (today) the grants “Will have a direct impact on thousands of Iowans in need of assistance and provide many positive ripple effects to communities all throughout Iowa.”

Among the agencies sharing in the funds, is New Visions Homeless Services, in Council Bluffs, which received $47,500, and, Community Action Agency of Siouxland, in Sioux City, which received $42,439. Shelter Assistance Fund applications are accepted on an annual basis and are judged through a competitive process. The Iowa Finance Authority received 23 eligible applications for the 2015 round requesting more than $1 million in funding. The program is funded with proceeds from the Real Estate Transfer Tax.

The Iowa Council on Homelessness reports that 22,195 Iowans experienced homelessness or were at-risk of homelessness in 2014 and a total of 18,141 were served by a shelter.