The Immigrant Welcome Network of Johnson County, a local nonprofit, hosted a grand opening for its two-unit supportive housing duplex on Nov. 7. The network was able to buy the duplex units and furnish them with the help of several community organizations.
Houses into Homes, The Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County, Resilient Sustainable Future for Iowa City, and independent donors all helped the nonprofit secure the units and furnish them, and had several representatives in attendance at the grand opening.
The nonprofit has one other location for supportive housing started last September, but does not own the building. The nonprofit hosted a fundraising gala in September, with the goal of raising $50,000 for the new supportive housing duplex that they would own, and ended up raising about $68,000.
Attendees at the event were able to tour the housing units, enjoy food, and hear speeches from Mayor Pro Tem Mazahir Salih, the nonprofit’s executive director, Mayor Bruce Teague, and representatives from all involved organizations.
The Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County was able to provide a loan for the nonprofit, and Resilient Sustainable Future for Iowa City was able to provide a lower interest rate for the nonprofit. Houses into Homes, an organization that furnishes homes for people in need, completely furnished both units with beds, couches, and other needed appliances.
Representatives from each of these organizations spoke at the event today, explaining their involvement in the project. Michal Eynon-Lynch, Resilient Sustaibble Future for Iowa City representative and founder, said the organizations’s vision was to build community resilience, and IWNJC was part of this vision.
“We think there’s a huge opportunity to invest all of that money that’s sitting around right into our community, into community led projects like this,” she said, “We also believe that building systemic community resilience, and in this case, stable housing, takes a diversity of approaches, not one monolithic approach, that’s why we are so proud to partner with IWNJC.”
Lucy Barker, a representative from Houses Into Homes, also spoke at the event. She stressed the importance of furnishing homes and said 96 percent of people who have their homes furnished by Houses Into Homes feel more comfortable in their homes after the fact.
“Our mission is simple but powerful, to transform empty living spaces into comfortable homes for people in our community who are experiencing furniture poverty,” she said.
Salih expressed gratitude to all the organizations and the community of neighbors surrounding the duplexes.
Salih said she was nervous about the reaction from the neighbors, but was pleasantly surprised after knocking on doors and speaking to people from the neighborhood. Colleen Schmitt, who lives on the same street as the duplex, spoke at the event today and thanked Salih.
“We look forward to helping people feel a sense of belonging as they get started here, and we know that they will co-create that wherever they land as they move on in Iowa City,” Schmitt said.
Salih said providing temporary supportive housing, like the duplex units, has been very important to her during her time as mayor pro tem, as it is a personal issue. Salih said that when she first came to the U.S., she experienced homelessness, and now works to ensure other immigrants have support if they need it.
Salih said her dream would be to open more supportive housing in the future, and that she will continue to work to create opportunities to do so.
“Those people, they will come here with all this trauma, and they need the hand, they need the help, they need a cushion, and they need people to lift them up,” Salih said. “Because we have amazing resources in this community, but not necessarily do the newcomers know about it.”
Oliver Weilein, an Iowa City city councilor, was also in attendance and expressed his excitement and support for the project.
“Part of what makes Iowa City so amazing is it’s so diverse, and there’s so many different kinds of people here,” he said. “That’s one of the main reasons I love living here, and the fact that the community will come together and provide for people”
Weilein also said that seeing plans like these come together despite the political climate meant a lot to him.
“I just think we need to send the message as a community, I don’t care what the state or feds say. Iowa City, we care about people no matter where they’re from,” he said.
