Ames ‘Home For Everyone’ Awards Presented

Press release from the City of Ames:

May 11, 2020

The Ames Human Relations Commission presented its annual “Home for Everyone” award to both Assault Care Center Extending Shelter and Support (ACCESS) Housing Team and to ACCESS staff member Cassandra Kramer at a recent Ames City Council meeting.

The “Home for Everyone” award recognizes a worthy individual or organization that has contributed to providing safe, quality, and equitable housing opportunities that enhance the quality of life for members of the Ames community. The Human Relations Commission presents the award annually during Fair Housing Month.

An individual award was presented to Cassandra (Cassie) Kramer, who leads the ACCESS Housing Team. This team advocates for crime victims experiencing housing instability and homelessness to secure housing. Nearly all the crime victims assisted by the Housing Team are also living in poverty. In nominating Kramer, the application stated, “Cassie is phenomenal at juggling multiple complex issues, remaining calm, and keeping the person at the heart of things rather than getting frustrated with the challenge of the case. Her compassion and tenacity have significantly impacted the survivors she serves and the Ames community.”

Additionally, the ACCESS Housing Team was honored with an award. According to the nomination, the Housing Team focuses on a housing-first approach to their work, which means that housing is a first step to recovery. Safe housing makes it easier for clients to cope and heal after trauma, easier to get employment, easier to address negative coping skills such as substance-use issues, and easier to support a family.

The ACCESS Housing Team works to advocate for crime victims experiencing housing instability. According to the nomination, “I have seen the ACCESS Housing Team think creatively to support people facing some really challenging situations. They have successfully negotiated with landlords to accept new tenants with eviction histories, limited income and many other barriers to housing. In this past year they have worked with multiple families who have experienced chronic homelessness to help disrupt the cycle.”

The nomination highlighted the ACCESS Housing Team’s work providing ongoing support to ensure an individual kept housing by helping navigate an issue with a landlord, providing rent assistance, reconnecting the client with mental health services, and supporting the individual with a law enforcement issue. The nomination continued, “The team goes above and beyond, thinks outside of the box, and works hard to help people in Ames, Story County and beyond get stable housing!”

In presenting the two awards, Ames Mayor John Haila congratulated Kramer and the ACCESS Housing Team on the work they do and thanked them for their efforts to provide housing for all members of the Ames community.

This press release was produced by the City of Ames. The views expressed here are the author’s own.