Linn County and Cedar Rapids Announce New Homelessness Systems Manager

Linn County and the City of Cedar Rapids are excited to announce J'nae Peterman is now serving as the community's homelessness systems manager, a position jointly funded by Linn County and the City of Cedar Rapids for up to three years.

Peterman, who has served as Housing Services Director for Waypoint since 2015, began her new role June 25. This new position is not a County or City employee, but is housed within the Housing Fund for Linn County and can report on activities to both the Linn County Board of Supervisors and the Cedar Rapids City Council.

The Linn County Board of Supervisors and the City of Cedar Rapids will each contribute $75,000 per year for up to three years for a total of $225,000 per agency. The County's funding source is the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the City's through its general fund.

In the summer of 2023, the City of Cedar Rapids brought in a national homelessness consulting firm, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, to assess and review the community's homelessness response systems, including nonprofit infrastructure and resources available for individuals experiencing homelessness. One of the Alliance's top recommendations was creating a homelessness systems manager.

The homelessness systems manager will not provide direct social service support to individuals who are experiencing homelessness. Instead, this position will collaborate with community nonprofit organizations that provide direct services and will be responsible for reviewing data; monitoring local, state, and federal grants; and creating systems that assist individuals in getting the right service from the right provider at the right time. This effort will also include the creation of a local oversight board that will help establish key performance indicators, priority initiatives, expectations, and deadlines for tasks.

"This collaboration is a great example of the City and the County working together to try to address an issue that's becoming increasingly more visible and challenging for individuals. It shows the seriousness with which both Linn County and the City of Cedar Rapids are approaching homelessness and is an example of how government works best when it works together," Linn County Board of Supervisor Ben Rogers said.

"Addressing homelessness is a top priority for the City Council," said Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell. "We recognize the importance of supporting our friends and neighbors in need. This complex issue requires a multi-faceted approach, and filling this position marks the beginning of significantly improving service coordination and delivery."

Linn County and the City of Cedar Rapids are committed to reducing the number of on-the-street homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless, specifically in the Cedar Rapids metro area. In addition to jointly funding the homeless systems manager for up to three years, Linn County and the City of Cedar Rapids also partner to fund the cold weather overflow shelter located in a building owned by Linn County and operated by Willis Dady Homeless Services.