Anawim Housing announces sponsors for Pulitzer Prize-winning author Brain Goldstone to headline discussion on the new American homeless
Des Moines, IA – Anawim Housing has announced the key sponsors making it possible to collaborate with The Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement to host Pulitzer Prize-winner Brian Goldstone to deliver the fall Sussman lecture. Goldstone’s presentation will highlight his book, There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America, and the dramatic rise of the “working homeless” in cities across America. This has been made possible through the generosity of long-time Anawim Housing supporters Loree and David Miles, Kathleen Lillis, Cecelia Kent, Sue and Ed Kenny, and Kathleen and Larry Zimpleman.
“When longtime Anawim Housing supporter Loree Miles brought me a copy of Brian’s work, we knew we had to find a way to bring him to Des Moines,” says Megan Milligan, President of Anawim Housing. “The book touches on much of the work we are trying to accomplish at Anawim Housing – preventing our most vulnerable community members from becoming homeless by providing safe, affordable, permanent housing. Affordable housing is an issue that affects our entire community, and Goldstone’s work highlights just how critical it is for our neighbors most in need to have access to stable homes of their choosing. We're deeply grateful to our sponsors, whose generosity has made it possible to bring Brian to Iowa and engage our community in this critical discussion.”
Brian Goldstone is a journalist, anthropologist, and the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America, an “exceptional feat of reporting” (The New York Times). Goldstone will highlight how the working poor have been pushed out of affordable housing in Atlanta and the risk facing the rest of our nation’s capital cities.
About Anawim Housing
Anawim Housing is a non-profit focused on improving long-term housing stability in Des Moines. We believe everyone deserves a place to call home. Across our three pillars of service (Property Management, Property Development, and Permanent Supportive Housing), we serve hundreds of families annually. We do this by: owning, managing, or maintaining 515+ safe, affordable, desirable, permanent rental housing units across Des Moines; recognizing the continuum of housing needs by serving an additional 235+ families and individuals experiencing chronic homelessness; and always seeking new ways to develop and rehabilitate additional affordable housing options to meet the needs of our community.
In 2025, 1,760 people called Anawim Housing Home across our three pillars of service. This includes 880+ children who now have safe, stable homes in which to build the foundation of their lives. 14% of our tenants were considered chronically homeless before coming to Anawim and qualify for support under our Permanent Supportive Housing pillar. We are proud to provide our neighbors with access to safe, affordable, desirable, permanent rental housing. Learn more about Anawim Housing at www.anawimhousing.org.
About the Sussman Lecture Series
Established by Richard Sussman, AS’51, in memory of his late wife, Lila, the Sussman Lecture Series takes place twice a year and invites notable public figures to discuss timely topics. Past Sussman speakers include Microsoft Chief Accessibility Officer Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, NASA Chief Historian Bill Barry, and Celine Cousteau, a French explorer, education ambassador and documentary filmmaker.
About The Harkin Institute
The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement at Drake University exists to inform citizens, inspire creative cooperation, and catalyze change on issues of social justice, fairness, and opportunity. Founded on the premise that good public policy is best achieved when policymakers have access to high quality information, political processes are open and well-understood, and citizens are informed and active participants, The Harkin Institute offers programming, experiences, research, and connectivity focused on the areas that defined Senator Harkin’s career: labor and employment, people with disabilities, retirement security, and wellness and nutrition.
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