Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (Iowa CCI) is a state-level advocacy group that advocates left-of-center policy positions on environmental and criminal-justice issues.

Background

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement was founded in 1975 by clergy members in the rectory of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Waterloo, Iowa. Iowa CCI was originally organized around addressing neighborhood issues and finding solutions to promote affordable housing in Iowa. ¹

In the 1970s worked to pressure Iowa state officials to use federal grant dollars for neighborhood revitalization. ¹ However, Iowa CCI shifted away from housing issues and began to advance more left-of-center positions in the 1990s, including environmentalist positions. ¹ While Iowa CCI supported tough criminal justice policies during the 1980s and 1990s, ¹ today it advocates for shrinking the budget of police departments. ²

Advocacy

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement argues for shifting completely to weather-dependent sources of energy because “the climate crisis is already here,” putting Iowa’s water, crops, and families at risk. ³

Iowa CCI advocates for the passage of the THRIVE Act, a Green New Deal coalition bill that would grant weather-dependent energy businesses $1 trillion every year from 2023-2031 to create 15 million federally funded jobs. ⁴

Iowa CCI advocates establishing independent public oversight committees to monitor and restrain police conduct, reducing funding for police departments, and decriminalizing marijuana possession. ²

Leadership

Hugh Espey is the executive director Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. He began working for the group in 1979 as an organizer. ⁵ Espey is a self-styled “professional organizer.” ⁶

Finances

In 2020, Iowa CCI received $2,074,095 in contributions, ⁷ $2,392,305 in total revenue, ⁸ incurred $1,546,477 in expenses, ⁹ and held $2,574,721 in net assets. ¹⁰

1. “About Us – History.” Iowa CCI. https://www.iowacci.org/history
2. “Racial Justice.” Iowa CCI. https://www.iowacci.org/racial-equity
3. “Climate Justice.” Iowa CCI. https://www.iowacci.org/climate-justice
4. ^[1] “THRIVE Fact Sheet.” Green New Deal Network. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fd39d62ad43c8365ea78fac/t/605e66acd8c2d46e486c1bd5/1616799555674/THRIVE_Act_Fact_Sheet.pdf
5. “Staff -Hugh Espey.” Iowa CCI. https://www.iowacci.org/staff
6. “Hugh Espey.” Activist Facts. https://www.activistfacts.com/person/3606-hugh-espey/
7. Iowa CCI. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2020. Part I, line 8.
8. Iowa CCI. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2020. Part I, line 12.
9. Iowa CCI. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2020. Part I, line 18.
10. Iowa CCI. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2020. Part I, line 22.