Dates

• Existence: 1983 - 2019

Biography

In 1983, the Ecumenical Consultation (later renamed the Consultation of Religious Communities) established the Emergency Housing Project (EHP) with a grant from the City of Iowa City. The member religious communities sent a representative to EHP board meetings and contributed financially on a regular basis. A house was purchased on North Gilbert Street with the purpose of providing short-term emergency housing for transients, local people, and individuals in Iowa City for personal or family medical needs.

In 2003, the board of the Emergency Housing Project changed the name of the non-profit to Shelter House. There was a consensus that membership of the board should be broadened to include skilled and talented individuals who did not belong to a Consultation of Religious Communities congregation. The Consultation did retain one seat on the board to keep informed and provide financial and advocacy support for the shelter.

By the end of 2010 (and after four years of litigation resulting in a decision by the Iowa Supreme Court), the board of the Shelter House opened a new shelter on Southgate Avenue in Iowa City and entered into collaborations with Veterans Administration and the Johnson County Chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. Various University of Iowa departments and colleges began major programs to educate their students and assist individuals at Shelter House. More grants and community support provided the bases for expanded services.

These archives are the story of the religious communities, board, and staff efforts to serve the needs of those who find themselves homeless in Johnson County.

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