The Community Crate on display in F lot of Wartburg College.
The Community Crate on display in F lot of Wartburg College. Photos by Ali Parkhurst
On Saturday, Nov. 15, over 120 college students, faculty and staff across Iowa and Minnesota participated in the Strengthening Education for an Engaged Democracy (SEED) Coalition’s Civil Action Academy.
In addition to the program, an exhibit of The Community Crate: Making Central Iowa Home was on display for students, faculty and community members to observe. The crate was located in F lot of Wartburg College.
The Community Crate transforms a shipping container into an exhibit that displays the harsh realities of housing and living expenses in Iowa. The crate shares stories of eviction trends, affordable housing challenges, homeownership struggles and the solutions that are making a difference for Central Iowans today.
A quote by Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted next to the entrance of The Community Crate. 
Statistics of homeownership in Iowa divided by race and ethnicity. 
Two budgets compare survival and stability for the average family in Iowa. 
Two reports compare the average income of homeowners and renters in Iowa. 
A quote by Matthew Desmond on display inside The Community Crate 
Solution to eviction rates displayed on the inside of The Community Crate describes the impact of evictions on a public record. 
Comparison of homeownership and renting statistics on display inside The Community Crate. 
QR code and social media handle for The Community Crate. 
UpLift logo displayed on the side of the entrance to The Community Crate.