While demand for services continues to grow, Coralville nonprofit Houses into Homes furnished over 400 homes in 2025, marking a major milestone for the organization as its largest volume of service since its founding in 2017.
Houses into Homes collects used furniture to help furnish homes in the community for those exiting homelessness. According to its website, the organization has served over 6,000 individuals, including roughly 3,000 children, and has provided a total of 3,474 beds in the last eight years.
According to the organization’s annual report, Houses into Homes delivered 422 homes for the first time in its eight-year history. There was also a notable increase in the number of beds provided, going from 605 beds to 743, a 22 percent increase from the previous year.
“I want people to understand the true scale of what it is that we’re doing, because it’s grown every year since we started,” Ian Cawley, Houses into Homes executive director, said. “This is the biggest impact that we’ve had since we’ve existed.”
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According to the organization’s report, Houses into Homes is the only organization in Johnson County that offers furnishing services through a wide network of local agencies. Many nonprofits in the area refer their clients to Houses into Homes.
Referral agencies for the organization include the Iowa City Community School District, local food pantries, and the Immigrant Welcome Network of Johnson County.
Cawley said the referral process is simple and effective, and allows for the nonprofit to meet the needs of individuals and families. Houses into Homes receives a referral from one of its agencies and then proceeds to do a home visit to get a complete list of all items needed in the home.
Items are donated by community members to the organization. Once the items have been collected, they are loaded into a truck and delivered to houses. Over the years, the organization has adapted to increased demand through the addition of eight paid staff members and over 1,000 volunteers. This translates to over 10,875 hours of volunteering.
“Some of these volunteers will have only volunteered a single time with us, and others have been with us for years and years,” Cawley said. “These volunteers are vital aspects of our organization.”
In addition to staff members and volunteers, Houses into Homes has a board of directors that provides support by advocating for the organization.
“This milestone reflects the effectiveness of our organization,” director Ryan O’Leary said. “I think it’s always important to hold ourselves accountable to our financial donors to show the impact of our organization.”
O’Leary said his involvement on the board includes helping the organization make strategic decisions, specifically in finances. He said the board exists to help guide staff in decision making.
“Houses into Homes is one of the most efficient nonprofits that I know of in Johnson County,” O’Leary said. “In rescuing furniture, we’re taking resources that would wind up in landfills otherwise and giving people dignity in their own households.”
The report also said Houses into Homes’ refurbishing efforts have diverted 400,000 pounds of material from the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center. In addition, over 200 tons of material have been reused.
Cawley said his work with Houses into Homes is fulfilling and rewarding for him, allowing him to meet new people every day and make a difference in others’ lives.
“There can be a lot of memories and emotions tied to furniture,” Cawley said. “Having the opportunity to take that furniture and give it another home is meaningful to me.”