Annaliese Hansen looked lovingly at her 18-day-old baby, Cameron, as his cubby cheeks stretched into a big yawn.
“He's doing really good,” Hansen said.
Hansen arrived at the Warming Shelter five days before giving birth. She has stayed at the facility on and off during the past year.
“I like it,” Hansen said. “It’s safe for him and clean, and I like that they give families their own room.”
The Warming Shelter opened in 2013 as a place for people experiencing homelessness to stay safe during the winter months. Over time, it expanded into a year-round facility.
Today, it's Sioux City’s only low-barrier shelter, providing people a place to go during the day and night. It's partially funded by the city, and through partnerships with other community agencies, people staying there can connect with mental healthcare, addiction treatment, housing assistance and other support services.
However, the Warming Shelter has faced criticism from Sioux City Council Member Rick Bertrand, who called it a “public nuisance” at a city council meeting on June 1. While Bertrand said he has compassion for people experiencing homelessness, he argued the facility enables illegal activity.
During the city council meeting last week, Bertrand said an anonymous whistleblower described the shelter, located just north of downtown, as having a “prison atmosphere.”
Supporters of the shelter dispute those claims. About 100 people gathered outside Sioux City City Hall before Monday’s council meeting to show their support.
Warming Shelter Executive Director Shayla Moore said the crowd’s presence spoke louder than any criticism ever could.
“It says that we believe in caring for one another. It says that we believe that every person has value. It says that we will stand together for what is right, even when it is hard,” Moore said.
Moore said the shelter serves people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Staff members assist, on average, 120 to 130 individuals per day.
“We see people on their hardest days. We see struggle, yes, but we also see courage; we see resilience; we see hope. And today, I see that same hope reflected in all of you,” Moore said.
After the rally, many community members then attended the city council meeting and urged leaders to support the shelter.
Among them was Monique Scarlett, the president of Sioux City’s NAACP and founder of Unity in the Community.
“In order to make decisions, you have to get the right information and the facts,” Scarlett said. “Instead of saying it’s a 'nuisance,' look at it in a different way, because it’s a new beginning for many people . You would be surprised how many people that you go to church with or the grocery store who have been in a homeless shelter.”
She urged the council to keep an open mind when making decisions that affect people experiencing homelessness.
Council Member Julie Schoenherr agreed that solutions require a broader conversation. While she supports the shelter's mission, she said the facility may have outgrown its current location.
“We have to open up our minds and say, ‘Is there a better location that is not in this densely populated area?’” Schoenherr said. “You've got a little postage stamp there.”
Schoenherr suggested the city could help identify a larger site that would provide more room for support services while addressing concerns raised by some downtown businesses and donors.
“It would have space for your support services to come on site and actually see people there,” she said.
Schoenherr said she frequently notices vacant properties around Sioux City that could potentially be repurposed for shelter services.
“When we have heated discussions, and we all get defensive, then that shuts down our minds and our ears,” Schoenherr said.
For Hansen, the shelter is a temporary stop.
She recently learned that her housing application was approved and hopes to move into a place of her own soon.
“I’m hoping to get us a place within two to three months,” Hansen said.
