DES MOINES — The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) has announced Friends of the Family and Iowa Legal Aid as winners of its second annual Innovation in Homelessness Pitch Competition. The event took place at the HousingIowa Conference in Cedar Rapids last week, awarding a total of nearly $200,000 to groundbreaking initiatives that otherwise may not have been possible.
“The Innovation in Homelessness Incubator aims to transform prevention and response systems and rethink how support is provided to those experiencing homelessness in Iowa,” said IFA and Iowa Economic Development Authority Director Debi Durham. “Once again, our service providers rose to the challenge with bold, creative solutions.”
“This investment signals the promising success we can achieve by approaching homelessness differently and meeting people where they are, removing barriers quickly and opening the door to housing and stability,” said Ben Brustkern of Friends of the Family.
It’s the kind of innovation that changes lives.
A total of up to $225,000 was available for the competition, with winning projects eligible for as much as $100,000 each to launch pilot initiatives with measurable impact and long-term potential. Funding was made available through IFA’s Emergency and Innovative Housing Fund. A total of eighteen proposals were submitted, with four finalists advancing to pitch their ideas to a panel of industry judges.
2025 Innovation in Homelessness Pitch Competition Winners
Friends of the Family (Waterloo)
Encampment to Housed
Award: $100,000
An initiative designed to provide rapid, person-centered intervention for individuals living in encampments. It offers immediate engagement, assessments, and expedited housing access, aiming to transition residents into safe homes within 4-6 weeks. Modeled after the Street to Home project in Dallas, the program also includes site restoration and sets a goal of at least 80% of participants exiting into permanent housing.
Iowa Legal Aid (Linn & Polk Counties)
Embedding Expungement and Collateral Consequences Relief in Eviction Help Desks
Award: $90,000
This pilot integrates expungement and legal relief services directly into eviction help desks. By addressing criminal and juvenile record barriers as well as related issues like driver’s license suspensions and court debt, the program strengthens prevention efforts and helps ensure long-term housing stability.
Judges included Gregg Colburn, author and housing researcher; Erin Drinnin, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services; Jennifer Cooper, IFA Board of Directors; and Amy Stetzel, Corporation for Supportive Housing.
For more details on the Innovation in Homelessness Incubator Pitch Competition and the other finalists, visit housingiowaconference.com.
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