HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-01-2025 Human Rights CommissionHuman Rights Commission
October 1, 2025
Helling Conference Room at 6:30PM
410 E. Washington Street (City Hall)
The Human Rights Commission will be meeting via Zoom.
httDS://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN n9M1THDoOI-Mi771dFNbaA
To watch the meeting, you may come to the Helling Conference Room, City Hall, 410 E.
Washington Street, or visit the Zoom meeting's registration page and submit the required
information. Once approved, you will receive an email message with a link to join the
meeting. If you are asked fora meeting ID or webinar ID, enter the ID number found in the
email. You may also call in by telephone by dialing (312) 626-6799. When prompted, enter
the meeting ID or webinar ID. The ID number for this meeting is: 829 9635 9459.
AGENDA:
1. Call to Order.
2. Discuss and vote on a Welcome Letter/Op-Ed to the Daily Iowan for University
of Iowa Students.
3. Discuss and vote on a statement Rejecting Violence and Building Housing
Solutions.
4. Adjournment.
Notice Regarding Public Comment: Public comment will not be heard at this meeting.
If you will need disability -related accommodations to participate in this program or event,
please contact the Human Rights Office at humanrights iowa-city.org or call 319-356-
5022. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access
needs.
Draft: An Open Letter to the Students of the University of Iowa
Dear Hawkeyes,
Welcome to Iowa City. Whether you are beginning your very first semester, returning for
another year, or completing your final steps toward graduation, you are part of a city thriving
with energy, creativity, and diversity.
The people of Iowa City value diverse identities among our residents and visitors. We
believe every person —regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, faith, ability, or
background —deserves respect, dignity, and opportunity. This is a commitment guiding how we
live, learn, and grow together as a community. Iowa City's five-year strategic plan puts forth
three core values: L Partnerships and Engagement, IL Climate Action, and III. Racial Equity,
Social Justice, and Human Rights.
In the face of recent actions by the State of Iowa, limiting bodily autonomy and
healthcare access, the declaration of diversity and inclusion as "illegal", and the removal of
protections based on gender identity, the people of Iowa City remain committed to defending
human rights. Though the University of Iowa has in the past year severely reduced or removed
services and protections for students of diverse backgrounds, the City of Iowa City remains
committed to restoring and preserving the constitutional rights of all who live here.
On August 19, the Iowa City City Council unanimously resolved to reaffirm the equal
protection of LGBTQ+ people in the city, emphasizing a "need to be willing to fight for the
people who live in your community." In the resolution, the City Council declared its
commitment to vigorously enforce Title 2, the human rights section of the city code, and to
prioritize budgetary expenditures to align with these values. Iowa City stands against
discrimination in all its forms and works to ensure everyone has the freedom to be themselves
without fear of prejudice.
Although we continue to see individuals and institutions declare by words alone they
value diversity and inclusion with little action amidst attacks on those values, the City of Iowa
City is committed to fight for the rights of residents and ensure every voice is included. From
local protections in housing and employment to our daily culture of mutual respect, we are
dedicated to fostering a safe and welcoming place for all.
As you walk our streets, explore our arts and culture, and engage in dialogue across
campus and community spaces, know you are welcomed and valued. Your voice matters; your
experiences enrich us; your presence strengthens Iowa City's shared pursuit of justice, equity,
and belonging.
Please contribute your talents, ideas, and compassion to this community. Together, we
are building an Iowa City where every person is empowered to thrive.
Welcome home, Hawkeyes.
With respect and solidarity,
The City of Iowa City's Human Rights Commission
DRAFT:
Rejecting Violence and Building Housing Solutions: Statement on Housing and Human Rights
September 23, 2025
Iowa City Human Rights Commission
On August 15, five members of our community —each experiencing unsheltered
homelessness —were injured when a vehicle was seemingly intentionally driven into their
encampment near Shelter House. This incident underscores a reality that has long been visible
in our city: living without adequate housing places people at heightened risk to their safety,
health, and dignity. As Shelter House has observed, "sleeping outside is never truly safe." The
absence of shelter exposes people not only to natural forces such as extreme weather but also
to increased vulnerability to violence, exploitation, and stigma. Housing is a precondition for
access to health, employment, education, and security. When individuals are denied this right,
every other aspect of life is placed on unstable ground.
We extend compassion to those injured and to the many more in our community who live
without stable housing. We also recognize the deep frustration felt by many, including service
providers, who know that the problem is far larger than any single encampment, and that the
solutions will need more than one organization or entity.
Housing as a Human Right
and reaffirmed in international treaties, resolutions, and declarations since. Housing is
foundational to physical and mental health, safety, education, employment, and social
connection. Without secure housing, many other rights cannot be realized.
The United Nations estimates that by 2030, 3 billion people-40% of the global population —will
need access to adequate housing. That demand translates into 96,000 new affordable units
required everyday. At the same time, at least 100 million people worldwide are unhoused, and
one in four live in conditions harmful to health, safety, and prosperity (UN -Habitat).
Recognizing housing as a human right means understanding that governments have a
responsibility —not as an act of charity, but as a duty —to ensure everyone has a safe place to
live. People are not asking for favors when they seek housing; they are claiming a basic right.
This approach means moving beyond temporary relief toward systemic, structural solutions. The
right to housing extends beyond four walls —it requires basic services like clean water,
sanitation, energy, healthcare, education, and mobility (UN -Habitat, 2022). Without these, a
person may be housed, but their right to housing is not fully realized.
Structural Challenges, Structural Solutions
Unfortunately, public investment in shelter and housing in Iowa has not matched the scale of
need. Only 25 of the 70 shelter beds in Johnson County are publicly funded, leaving service
providers to fundraise for the majority of direct costs. Meanwhile, Iowa ranks last in the nation in
mental health bed availability, with just two per 100,000 residents. This lack of structural
investment prolongs crisis, deepens community frustration, and leaves our neighbors at risk.
At the same time, recent state and national policy trends —including bills that criminalize
encampments and federal language encouraging institutionalization of unsheltered
people —have heightened stigma while diverting focus from proven, evidence -based strategies.
Research consistently shows that approaches like Permanent Supportive Housing and Housing
First reduce long-term costs to hospitals, emergency services, and law enforcement while
restoring health and dignity to individuals and families.
Homelessness is, at its core, a structural housing problem. It is fueled by inadequate affordable
housing supply, insufficient mental health resources, systemic discrimination against
voucher -holders and tenants with poor credit, and underinvestment in prevention and
wraparound services. Addressing these structural barriers —not simply moving encampments or
relying on overstretched nonprofits —is central to building solutions that last.
Our Call to Action
As a Commission, we believe our community can and must respond with compassion, urgency,
and collaboration for structural change. We invite our partners at the city, county, state, and
national level to work with us to:
• Expand resources for both emergency shelter and permanent housing.
• Invest in evidence -based approaches like Housing First and Permanent Supportive
Housing.
• Ensure housing access as a right, not a privilege, by reducing systemic barriers.
• Affirm the dignity of all community members, rejecting stigmatizing rhetoric and
policies.
We welcome community members, leaders, organizations, funders, and private businesses to
find themselves in the collective work needed to create solutions that address the fundamental
challenges, working toward a future where every person in Iowa City has access to safe, stable,
and affordable housing, and where structural obstacles are addressed head-on, not left to fall
hardest on those already most vulnerable.
Signed,
Iowa City Human Rights Commission