DES MOINES, Iowa — It’s been one year since the Des Moines City Council voted to institute a ban on public camping.
Now, new data shows the number of those experiencing homelessness in Polk County is on the rise. Homeward’s Point in Time study, released in June, shows a 5% increase in total homelessness, with an 18% jump in those living unsheltered.
“We have teams of service providers as well as volunteers that go on to the community and actually interview folks that are living unsheltered,” Homeward Executive Director Angie Arthur said. “Meaning they may live outside or in a place not meant for human habitation.”…