Bill Klaproth (host):Welcome to the Our CR podcast. You’re behind the scenes look at Cedar Rapids City Government projects and the people working to make our community a better place. In today’s episode, we’re talking about what it really means to have a place to call home and how the city of Cedar Rapids is working to ensure more of our friends and neighbors can benefit from the safety, stability, and opportunity that housing provides. With me is J’nae Peterman, homeless systems manager at the Housing Fund for Linn County and Laura Shaw, the housing services manager for the City of Cedar Rapids. J’nae and Laura, welcome.
J’nae Peterman:Hi, bill. Thanks for having us.
Laura Shaw:Hey, bill, it’s great to be here.
Host:J’nae and Laura, thank you so much for your time today. What a great topic, and I can’t wait to talk to both of you about this. Laura, let me start with you. When we talk about stable neighborhoods, we know housing supply isn’t keeping up with demand. The city’s housing needs assessment makes clear the challenges layered from affordability gaps to population shifts. So let’s discuss some of the ways the city is responding strategically. How is the city of Cedar Rapids tackling the challenge of providing safe and affordable housing for all residents?
Laura Shaw:Yeah, so stabilizing neighborhoods and providing affordable housing, those are each council priorities. Back in 2018, the city council reestablished the Affordable Housing Commission, which brings together community partners that research and make recommendations for addressing the priorities. Annually, the city invests in the market study, which monitors the needs and progress in our community for housing. The city has been able to utilize the annual study to provide data for developers interested in investing in our community and to monitor where we’re going, what our needs are, and where we should focus, shifting priorities as costs and interest rates rise. We’ve been strategic in our planning, partnering on programs from Roots to first-time homebuyer and housing rehab programs, and working with agencies like Neighborhood Finance Corp for their loan products, hoping to offset some of the costs for homebuyers and existing homeowners. The city also helps offset costs for developers by providing tax incentives or letters of support for low income housing tax credits. It’s a primary focus for the city.
Host:Laura, it’s great to hear how the city is always looking ahead and that this is a priority for the city council. What issues arise if we have a lack of housing?
Laura Shaw:Sure. We see it in other markets when rental housing gets really tight, vacancy rates drop and new builds don’t come online quickly enough. Rates tend to increase, and if the city sees that, we look to find additional partners—either nonprofits or local agencies—to leverage housing wherever possible. For example, we’ve changed our accessory dwelling unit rules to allow people to build additional housing on the same lot. We’re strategic about increasing small housing options by enabling families to create mother-in-law suites or rental units. As any city grows, there are growing pains, and we continue to look at best practices nationwide to mitigate those challenges.
Host:The good news is the city is growing. Let me ask, how has the city turned natural disasters like the 2008 flood and the 2020 derecho into opportunities for affordable housing?
Laura Shaw:We never want disasters, but we’ve been fortunate to have strong leadership through the 2008 flood and the 2020 derecho, allowing us to react quickly and efficiently. After the 2008 flood displaced more than 10,000 residents and demolished 1,300 properties, the city developed the Roots program as a pilot to help families and builders create new housing on vacant or flood-damaged lots. The program stabilized neighborhoods by filling lots with new homes, increasing property values and generating positive community stories. The derecho Roots program was similar but smaller in scale, and recent closings have shown its success, like a first-time homebuyer in her sixties achieving homeownership on a moderate income. These programs have strengthened our readiness to address housing challenges.
Host:J’nae, there’s no place like home to make you feel safe, yet some residents don’t have that experience. Can you tell us about your role as homeless systems manager and the initiatives in place to address homelessness in Cedar Rapids?
J’nae Peterman:My role officially started two years ago after the City of Cedar Rapids contracted with the National Alliance to explore our community’s data, programming, service model, and funding streams following the pandemic-driven increase in homelessness. They found we have robust service providers and the ability to end homelessness, but we needed to coordinate better with a single data set and performance measures. The city and county jointly funded the homeless systems manager position, which I filled in June 2024. I work with our primary agencies—Waypoint, Willow, and HACAP—to oversee the same data and measure positive outcomes consistently. I also identify gaps in services and funding, creating pilot programs and reaching out to new funders. For example, we partnered with Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust for a $100,000 Landlord-Tenant Success Initiative that provides financial incentives for landlords to rent to hard-to-house individuals, supporting 40 people so far. We also formed a Lived Experience Advisory Council of people who have experienced homelessness to review policies and give feedback. We continually seek creative ways to bring more affordable units and address housing issues with unique solutions.
Host:That’s impressive, J’nae. I also understand you have a point-in-time count showing a steady decrease in homelessness. Can you explain that?
J’nae Peterman:Twice a year, we conduct a point-in-time count in January and July, sending teams to count unsheltered individuals and gathering shelter provider numbers for a snapshot of homelessness. We’ve done this for over a decade and from 2024 to 2025 saw a 12% decrease, while the State of Iowa saw a 35% increase. It’s encouraging that our initiatives are working.
Host:That proves your creative solutions are making a difference. Thank you, Laura and J’nae, for sharing your time and insights. To our listeners, for more information visit cityofcr.com/housing and share this podcast. I’m Bill Klaproth and this is the Our CR podcast. Thanks for listening.