Getting someone into an apartment is not the end of the work. It is often where the real work begins. Corey talks with Austin Neal about youth homelessness, housing instability, and what it takes to help young people build a life beyond survival mode. Austin shares lessons from nearly a decade of serving people experiencing homelessness through Joppa, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa, and Iowa Homeless Youth Centers. They discuss hidden homelessness, the lack of affordable housing in Des Moines, and why housing must include safety, stability, mental health support, employment, food, and long-term relationships. They also explore a central question: What becomes possible when a young person finally has a safe place to sleep? Austin will continue this conversation as part of the Housing Is Medicine panel at the 2026 My City My Health Conference.

Learn more and register at mycity.health.

SHOW NOTES

In this episode:

• How volunteering helped Austin discover his purpose
• What Austin learned serving people through Joppa
• The realities facing students and families experiencing homelessness
• Why youth homelessness cannot be reduced to drugs, alcohol, or personal choices
• The difference between placing someone in housing and helping them remain housed
• Why safety matters when evaluating housing outcomes
• How young people experience hidden homelessness through couch surfing, cars, and temporary living arrangements
• Why traditional homelessness counts miss many young people
• The connection between housing, mental health, trauma, and preventive care
• What it means to meet someone’s immediate needs before asking about long-term goals
• How stable housing gives young people room to dream again
• Why communities must work with people instead of making decisions for them
• The relationship between housing conditions, cancer, and community health

KEY QUOTES

“At the root of it, it’s a housing issue.”

“My judgment came first rather than my help.”

“If they don’t have shelter, they can’t begin to dream. They can’t begin to think about what’s next.”

“We can say we housed this many young people, but how many feel safe and equipped to keep those apartments?”

ABOUT THE GUEST

Austin Neal has nearly a decade of experience serving people experiencing homelessness and housing instability. His work has included volunteering with Joppa, supporting students through Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa, and working with young adults at Iowa Homeless Youth Centers.

Austin is also joining Above + Beyond Cancer as an outreach manager and will serve as a panelist during the Housing Is Medicine discussion at the 2026 My City My Health Conference.

CONNECT WITH MY CITY MY HEALTH

Learn more about the conference, community education, and upcoming events at mycity.health.

The Move the City FWD Podcast is powered by My City My Health.

When the world feels heavy, how do you acknowledge what you are feeling without losing your ability to move forward?

Keynote speaker and life coach Vanessa McNeal joins Corey Dion Lewis to discuss burnout, hopelessness, anger, personal responsibility, and the pressure many helpers and community leaders feel to do more.

Vanessa explains why the questions you ask yourself shape how you see your work and your impact. She also shares practical ways to understand anger, reconnect with what gives you life, manage expectations, and remember that meaningful change does not happen through one person alone.

Vanessa will also serve as a panelist on the Mental Health Panel at the 2026 My City My Health Conference Des Moines.

REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE

Join us November 13, 2026, at Curate in Des Moines for conversations focused on mental health, housing, economic mobility, community resources, and the issues shaping the health of our communities.

Presented in partnership with UnityPoint Health.

Register here:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/my-city-my-health-des-moines--2026

The conference is open to community members, advocates, professionals, organizations, and anyone who wants to help move the city forward.

Civic engagement shapes health. In this episode, host Corey Dion Lewis sits down with Heather Jones-Brown and Victoria Weber to connect everyday actions like voting, emailing a school board member, riding the bus, and showing up at a neighborhood cleanup to measurable health outcomes. The conversation stays local. They dig into transportation, school boards, city councils, water quality, and how libraries, community fridges, and grassroots networks move the needle.

You will hear:

• Why local elections often shape your daily health more than national races
• How transportation access influences employment, insurance coverage, food security, and mental health
• Practical ways to engage when your time or confidence is limited
• The hidden health power of libraries, community fridges, and neighborhood cleanups

Links:

• My City My Health Conference info and merch: mycity.health
• NAACP Des Moines: naacpdesmoines.org
• Des Moines Public Library: dmpl.org
• Local news and policy explainers mentioned: Iowa Starting Line, Iowa Capital Dispatch, Des Moines Register
• Des Moines metro school board and city council meeting streams are typically available on each body’s YouTube channel or website

Call to action:

• Register for My City My Health Des Moines, Nov 14: use code MCMH100 at checkout on Zeffy to claim the limited promo.

Show Notes

• 00:01 Welcome and why civic engagement belongs in a health conversation
• 02:00 “Local civics matter the most” and how engagement looks different for everyone
• 04:45 Transportation as a foundation of public health
• 06:30 Commuting, job access, insurance, wages, and downstream health outcomes
• 08:15 Voting mindset for local elections and why school bonds matter for long-term community health
• 10:40 City councils, budgets, sidewalks, housing, pollution, and potholes as health policy
• 12:40 School boards should be nonpartisan, and why parents must track positions and votes
• 13:40 Beyond the ballot: attend meetings, email representatives, set coffee or Zoom
• 16:55 Where to watch meetings and how to find contact lists
• 18:30 Toolkits, newsletters, and right-sized information habits
• 20:20 Join organizations for curated updates, like NAACP Des Moines and interfaith groups
• 21:55 Water quality alerts and why trusted sources matter
• 23:30 Everyday engagement: cleanups, cost savings, and reinvesting in community needs
• 26:00 Libraries as civic health hubs: makerspaces, classes, and small business sparks
• 28:35 Small mindset shifts, big public health impacts
• 30:40 What guests are excited to experience at My City My Health
• 33:05 How to connect with Heather and Victoria

Resources talked about:
2025 DMPS Bond Conversation
Info on the bond
Find your polling location