Homelessness rising in Dubuque, shelters seek $320,000 to prepare for winter

DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) — Two Dubuque homeless shelters are trying to raise a combined $320,000 by the end of October to prepare for winter.

Opening Doors executive director Jessica Schlader leads a nonprofit that helps women and children experiencing homelessness, but space constraints are limiting her efforts.

Schlader said Opening Doors got 699 calls for shelter in 2025. Forty-two percent of shelter requests were denied because the shelter was out of space.

“Everyone deserves a safe place to stay, and that’s not even like the bare minimum,” Schlader said. “It’s heartbreaking for us to have to turn somebody away because it’s not just because we didn’t have a bed. We’re turning somebody away and potentially putting them back into an unsafe situation when they really just need support.”

The Dubuque Rescue Mission’s men’s shelter also had to turn people away last winter due to a lack of space.

Unsheltered homelessness rises in Dubuque County

Point-in-time counts conducted by Community Solutions of Eastern Iowa (CSEI) show unsheltered homelessness is increasing quadrupled in Dubuque County.

Also known as PIT counts, this July’s search found 84 people living outside in the county. PIT counts are federally mandated, nationwide efforts to count how many people are unhoused.

Recent summer PIT counts in Dubuque County, per CSEI:

• July 2026: 84 individuals identified
• July 2025: 56 individuals identified
• July 2024: 23 individuals identified (this figure could be higher since the rescue mission increased its overflow capacity because of heavy rains that night)
• July 2023: 33 individuals identified
• July 2022: 18 individuals identified
• July 2021 & 2020: No count conducted due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Rev. Samuel Felderman, executive director of the Dubuque Rescue Mission, said it’s struggling to budget for this winter because demand for its meal program has doubled in the last year, growing from 2,500 meals per month to more than 5,000.

“The budget is tight,” Felderman said. “Between the rising gas prices, the rising costs of groceries, more people are feeling the pinch and they’re coming to us for assistance.”

Shelters seek more space, funding

Felderman is asking the city of Dubuque for a permit to use the thrift store for emergency overflow, which would open an additional 50 beds. If approved, the Dubuque Rescue Mission would let Opening Doors use its warming space at Jackson and 16th streets, giving the nonprofit an additional 25 beds.

“This collaboration between the mission and Opening Doors is essential to the well-being of the unhoused community and our community as a whole,” Felderman said.

“We’re working on collaborating with agencies like the Dubuque Rescue Mission and the city to figure out what the solution is because what is happening now isn’t going away,” Schlader said. “This temporary stopgap is until we have more affordable housing and we have expanded supportive services.”

More room for people means buying more beds and mattresses, and hiring more workers to staff the space.

That’s why the Dubuque Rescue Mission and Opening Doors are each making a plea to the community for donations. Felderman said $250,000 is needed for the Dubuque Rescue Mission and Schlader said $70,000 is needed for Opening Doors by the end of October to be prepared for the winter.

“Providing additional emergency shelter is more than just a building and beds. You need trained staff that are there to provide safe operations and to be consistent and to act with compassion for the people we serve,” Schlader said.

Felderman argued addressing homelessness is not only a moral imperative, but also can provide Dubuque with an economic boost.

“When we can pay attention to those who are most in need, we are paying attention to the whole ecosystem of what makes Dubuque flourish. I do believe that we will all be better off when we care for our neighbors,” Felderman said. “Our winters are rough here in Dubuque, and if we are going to ensure that our neighbors are being cared for, support is needed.”

People interested in volunteering or donating to the Dubuque Rescue Mission are asked to send a check to 398 Main St., Dubuque, Iowa 52001, or go to dubuquerescue.org.

People interested in volunteering or donating to Opening Doors can call Schlader at 563-582-7480 or go to openingdoorsdbq.org.

“Nobody can do this on their own,” Schlader said. “It’s important that we do have a safety net in addition to more affordable housing.”

“It would be incredible to be able to go out and see that we don’t have anyone unsheltered in the cold this winter,” Felderman said.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been updated to attribute PIT count figures to the Community Solutions of Eastern Iowa.