DES MOINES — The Iowa Finance Authority Board of Directors today approved more than $5.7 million in grants to assist 42 agencies with homelessness assistance initiatives during the 2026 calendar year.
The University of Iowa was awarded approximately $278,000 from the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS program (HOPWA) for an initiative covering 22 counties, including Mahaska, Monroe, Poweshiek, Keokuk, Wapello, Davis, Iowa, and Washington counties. The HOPWA program is a federal program from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development designed to assist persons who have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and their families who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. Five agencies were awarded a total of more than $1.2 million in 2026 Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS grants, including the University of Iowa.
“Iowa’s greatest housing needs include support for individuals with the lowest incomes who are at risk of homelessness,” said Iowa Finance Authority Director Debi Durham. “Through strong partnerships with homeless service providers across the state, these awards will support many Iowans in their time of crisis and on their path to housing stability.”
Individuals in need of homelessness assistance should visit iowahousinghelp.com or call the coordinated entry system at 833-739-0065. Residents of Des Moines or Polk County should call centralized intake at 515-248-1850. Residents in the Siouxland area should visit siouxlandhomeless.org or call 712-224-5247.
The funding is made available through the State-funded Shelter Assistance Fund (SAF) and the federal Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) programs.
The Iowa Finance Authority conducted competitive application processes for the ESG and SAF programs, while HOPWA funding is distributed by formula based upon Iowa Department of Public Health data. Applications were scored in several categories, including program design, experience and capacity, community partnerships, performance, budget and grants management.
The awards list is available here.
