Pulitzer-Prize winning author Brian Goldstone to headline discussion on the new American homelessness
Des Moines, IA – Pulitzer Prize-winning author of There Is No Place for Us: Working Homeless in America Brian Goldstone will speak to Iowans on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at the fall Sussman Lecture offered by The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement at Drake University in partnership with Anawim Housing.
Goldstone’s presentation will highlight how the working poor have been pushed out of affordable housing in Atlanta and the risk that the rest of our nation’s capital cities face as well.
“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 Brian’s work highlights just how critical it is for our neighbors most in need to have access to stable homes of their choosing.”
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) which exposes the dramatic rise of the “working homeless” in cities across America.
“We at the Harkin Institute are delighted to join with Anawim Housing in highlighting important and urgent issues around labor and employment, economic opportunity, and housing,” said The Harkin Institute Executive Director Craig Owens. “At the core of The Institute’s mission—and at the core of the Tom and Ruth Harkin’s lifelong commitment to public service—is dignity, and Mr. Goldstone’s book is a perfect way for readers and audiences to begin to understand how much a sense of personal dignity depends on the material affordances many of us take for granted.” Registration for the Sussman Lecture featuring Brian Goldstone will open in July.
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 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.
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.
For Media Inquiries Please Contact:
Madison Simmons, Advancement Coordinator
anawimevents@anawimhousing.org
515-442-3133