By Radio Iowa Contributor

A federally funded program is ending soon that’s helped some 17,000 Iowans stay in their homes with the lights on.

In addition to paying for back rent, the Iowa Finance Authority’s Rent and Utility Assistance Program has higher income barriers, opening it to many more Iowans than comparable rent assistance programs. Lynette Jacoby, director of social services in Johnson County, says the challenge will be to find programs that can fill the gap.

“We know though at the local level that there isn’t funding,” Jacoby says. “We can’t fill a gap of $350,000 a month in rental assistance.” Jacoby said the program’s $170 million impact was not just for residents, but also for landlords who would have lost income from emptied units or the eviction process.

The Iowa Finance Authority says the program will stop accepting new applicants at the end of August, following the national trend of dialing back COVID-era assistance programs. Luke Elzinga works at DMARC, which runs a network of food pantries in the Des Moines area. He says when people have fewer resources to cover rent, they’ll have to make it up somewhere else.

“A lot of the time, people will make sure their rent is paid first so they can remain housed and then figure out how they’re going to feed themselves,” Elzinga says. “That oftentimes looks like turning to a food pantry.” The program ends as DMARC, like other food pantries, was already reporting record levels of demand for food assistance.

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

A district court judge has ruled the list of landowners who haven’t agreed to voluntary easements for the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline must be released to the public. The Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club sued after the Iowa Utilities Board said the names would remain secret at the developer’s request.

Summit is still working to secure agreements with landowners for about 60% of its proposed carbon pipeline route through Iowa. If the Iowa Utilities Board grants eminent domain authority for the project, the list would be used to determine which properties could be seized without negotiations between Summit and landowners.

A spokeswoman for the Sierra Club’s Iowa chapter says reluctant landowners should be able to see the list so they can communicate with like-minded Iowans and organize unified opposition to the pipeline.

Summit could appeal the judge’s ruling. The company says it’s reasonable that landowners themselves get to choose whether their names and contact information are made public and Summit aims to protect landowners from harassment.

Earlier this month a Summit executive said about 750 Iowa landowners have voluntarily agreed to let Summit’s pipeline run through their property. Two other companies are proposing carbon pipelines through Iowa.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is providing a $1,000 grant to every county in the state to improve voter access ahead of the 2022 general election. The grant is intended for counties to partner with local advocacy organizations and self-advocates to receive feedback on how polling places can be more accessible for Iowans with disabilities.

“I want all voters to have a positive experience when they cast their ballot,” Secretary Pate said. “Every polling place is required to be accessible, but we need to move past simple compliance. Inclusion begins in the planning stages and providing county auditors with the resources to work with local organizations to improve access will make sure every Iowan can easily navigate their polling place on Election Day.”

Approximately 300,000 Iowans have a disability. Counties can use the grant to improve accessibility considerations and receive communication, etiquette, and sensitivity training to understand the perspective of voters with disabilities.

“Voting can be challenging for people with disabilities,” said Bill Kallestad, public policy manager for the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council. “This grant opportunity is a great way to take steps to understand and address these challenges. Learning about voting challenges from people with disabilities can lead to meaningful change.”

The deadline for counties to request the grant funds is August 31 and the scope of work must be completed by the November 2022 general election.