Often, people in these situations must choose between getting help with their situation or keeping their pet, as many shelters providing emergency housing for people are not designed to accommodate pets. This can be a significant barrier for people, who will often choose to stay with their pets rather than accept help.
In 2019, it was estimated that 12% of unsheltered homeless adults owned pets. According to a study conducted two years prior, 48% of unhoused pet-owning individuals reported being turned away from a shelter because of pet policies. Similarly, the National Alliance to End Homelessness conducted a survey to assess why individuals experiencing homelessness avoid shelters, and 22% of respondents indicated they avoided shelter because their pet was not allowed to be with them.
Research has shown that co-sheltering, allowing people and pets to stay together, removes a significant barrier to ensuring safe and stable housing for both the chronically homeless and victims of domestic violence. In short, co-sheltering saves lives.
The Providing for Unhoused People with Pets (PUPP) Act (H.R. 3957) would authorize the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) secretaries to award one-time grants to emergency shelters to acquire, rehabilitate, re-purpose, retrofit, or construct a property to be used to accommodate unhoused individuals with pets, and to fund pet-related operating costs, including basic veterinary and behavioral services.
If you live in Iowa, please contact your Representative in the US House and ask them to cosponsor H.R. 3957. Let them know you support providing co-sheltering options for people in need of emergency housing so they can keep their pets with them.