Iowa and Scott County are both in the midst of an ongoing eviction crisis.

Nick Smithberg, executive director of Iowa Legal Aid, says the agency has five eviction help desks in the state. The first one was established in Polk County about 3 1/2 years ago.

Now people headed to eviction court in Scott County can get help right outside the eviction courtroom in the Scott County Courthouse, where Iowa Legal Aid partners with other agencies to find resources for people about to be removed from their homes.

“Most of the cases we work on are non-payment cases. If you don’t get the rent paid, you’re not really going to solve the problem,” he said.

When clients face eviction, legal aid representatives gather details and accompany clients into the courtroom.

Ninety percent of the time, Smithberg says this can prevent or postpone an eviction. Many clients they see are facing eviction for the first time.

“Their situation is so precarious,” he said.

They’re part of a big percentage of Iowa residents. “Forty percent of the people in this state can’t afford their basic needs. That’s food, clothing, transportation, shelter. You have people who are what they call rent-burdened who are spending more than 30 percent of their income on rent. So, if anything goes wrong, there’s no cushion.”

It’s not unusual to see 30 to 40 people in eviction court on some days. The demographic is comprised of an over-representation of women, people with disabilities, and people of color.
Eviction means they will face even more challenges.

“People who are subjected to an eviction literally have a shorter life expectancy,” Smithberg said. “Hospitalization rates go up, people have issues with mental health, increased suicide. So the consequences of an eviction are very serious.”

They’re also pushed into undesirable housing. That might mean children in those situations will grow up in unsafe, unhealthy dwellings and neighborhoods: “The single greatest predictor of an eviction occurring in a household is the presence of a child,” he said.

Kelle Larned is The Salvation Army program and operations director. The Salvation Army is the lead agency for homeless prevention in Scott County.

“We’re seeing a lot of households with multiple children and they’re both working,” she said. “The issue in Scott County is the rent is too high.”

Often, parents in these working-poor families make $19 to 20 an hour. and they still get evicted.

“You are talking about hundreds of people in hotels every single night,” Larned said. “The working poor right now are falling through the cracks.”

“What surprises most people is the amount of families … people who are really trying and want to better their situation, but don’t know how,” she said.

Smithberg and Larned say it’s important for renters in danger of being evicted to talk to their landlords because landlords will often work with renters to prevent an eviction.

To contact Iowa Legal Aid, visit here.

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