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Officials: New system to put homeless into homes is working

Homeless are ranked with a score to help funnel them back into homes.
Homeless are ranked with a score to help funnel them back into homes.
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Officials: New system to put homeless into homes is working
The city of Des Moines is again notifying the homeless who camp out along the Des Moines River that it's time to move on.Watch videoIt's something the city does a couple of times a year.What's different this time is a new system that aims to do more than by putting the homeless into homes."They'll probably camp up and find another place is what they're doing there isn't many places left," Kenneth Roy told KCCI's Kevin Cooney on Friday. Roy is homeless.He is moving out of his riverside camp."I'm doing OK," said Roy.He will be moving out of the camp and into an apartment that the VA helped him find.The city has been working on a new plan to pull together resources to better help the homeless. The new plan is meant to be proactive instead of reactive.A centralized intake was established that lets the various city departments and outside agencies work together on the problem."The higher score you're more vulnerable, the more likely you are to die on the street," said Shelby Ridley of Primary Health Care.Ridley's Primary Health Care team is in and out of shelters daily. They interview the homeless within days after they show up at a shelter.The homeless individual or family is given a score based on their needs and situation. The goal is simple: Get them a place to live that is away from a shelter, breaking the cycle of homelessness."What we know is once people are in housing, they get connected to their community again. They're able to take care of their health needs and their mental health needs," said Tony Timm, director of Central Iowa Shelter & Services.Timm oversees the largest shelter in Des Moines. He is already seeing success from the new system."Every time we see someone moving from here out that's better for the person we are serving. It also frees up room here," said Timm.

The city of Des Moines is again notifying the homeless who camp out along the Des Moines River that it's time to move on.

Watch video

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It's something the city does a couple of times a year.

What's different this time is a new system that aims to do more than by putting the homeless into homes.

"They'll probably camp up and find another place is what they're doing there isn't many places left," Kenneth Roy told KCCI's Kevin Cooney on Friday. Roy is homeless.

He is moving out of his riverside camp.

"I'm doing OK," said Roy.

He will be moving out of the camp and into an apartment that the VA helped him find.

The city has been working on a new plan to pull together resources to better help the homeless. The new plan is meant to be proactive instead of reactive.

A centralized intake was established that lets the various city departments and outside agencies work together on the problem.

"The higher score you're more vulnerable, the more likely you are to die on the street," said Shelby Ridley of Primary Health Care.

Ridley's Primary Health Care team is in and out of shelters daily. They interview the homeless within days after they show up at a shelter.

The homeless individual or family is given a score based on their needs and situation. The goal is simple: Get them a place to live that is away from a shelter, breaking the cycle of homelessness.

"What we know is once people are in housing, they get connected to their community again. They're able to take care of their health needs and their mental health needs," said Tony Timm, director of Central Iowa Shelter & Services.

Timm oversees the largest shelter in Des Moines. He is already seeing success from the new system.

"Every time we see someone moving from here out that's better for the person we are serving. It also frees up room here," said Timm.