Iowa Code ch. 403A § 403A.23
Eligibility of persons receiving public assistance
Operative Text
Any statute to the contrary notwithstanding, no person otherwise eligible to be a tenant in a municipal housing project, shall be declared ineligible or denied occupancy in the municipal housing project merely because the person is receiving in some form public assistance including but not limited to federal supplemental security income or state supplementary assistance as defined by section 249.1, unemployment compensation, or social security.
Iowa Code § 403A.23 establishes that receipt of public assistance — including federal supplemental security income, state supplementary assistance, unemployment compensation, or social security — cannot, by itself, be used to disqualify an otherwise eligible person from living in a municipal housing project. The rule overrides any conflicting statutes that might otherwise permit such exclusions. In short, a person's status as a public-assistance recipient is not a permissible standalone basis for denying them housing in a municipal project.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators and administrators of municipal housing projects in Iowa must ensure that their eligibility screening processes comply with § 403A.23, which prohibits using an applicant's receipt of public assistance as a disqualifying factor. A compliant operator reviews applications based on criteria that do not single out public-assistance status — such as SSI, state supplementary assistance, unemployment compensation, or social security — as a reason for denial. Policies, written criteria, and staff training generally reflect this prohibition to avoid impermissible rejections.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Iowa Code § 403A.23, individuals who receive public assistance — including SSI, state supplementary assistance, unemployment compensation, or social security — have a protected right not to be turned away from a municipal housing project solely on that basis. If an applicant believes they were denied occupancy because of their public-assistance status, they may have grounds to raise that denial as a violation of this provision. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid offices familiar with Iowa housing law can help individuals understand the options available to them, such as filing a complaint or challenging the denial through available administrative or legal channels.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 18, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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