Former Iowa Jewish community center to become housing for chronically homeless

Sioux City, Iowa, has received a $1 million grant to convert a former Jewish Community Center into permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness.

The Missouri River Historical Development awarded the grant on Aug. 27 through its 2026 Economic Development Match Grant Program. It will support the $6.56 million Star Apartments project at 525 14th St., which will rehabilitate the building into 24 one- and two-bedroom apartments.

Residents will have access to on-site case management and other supportive services designed to help people experiencing chronic homelessness and other significant barriers achieve long-term housing stability, the city said.

The need for additional housing is significant. In 2025, Sioux City’s Coordinated Entry system recorded 1,054 individuals across 755 households seeking housing assistance, including 246 people identified as chronically homeless and 655 who reported having a disability. The city recorded only 70 referrals to housing programs during the year.

“There’s about, on any given day, about 70 people that we know of out there that are currently experiencing homelessness, that also have a disability,” Jill Wanderscheid, Sioux City’s neighborhood services manager, told the local NBC affiliate. “They’ve been chronically homeless and don’t have a place to go.”

The city owns the property and has already invested in securing the building, installing lighting and completing conceptual design work. It is pursuing additional state and federal funding to complete the project.

Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with completion anticipated in 2028.