IOWA CITY - A homeless veteran's death two weeks ago in Iowa City has prompted several groups to fight back. Sonny Iovino died from hypothermia under a bridge near downtown. Now that incident is inspiring the community to fight back against the homeless problem.

About 1,300 people are homeless right now in Johnson County. Iowa City's Shelter House can only hold 29. 15% of those now staying there are veterans like Len McClellan.

McClellan says, "(I had) bad luck, being taken advantage of, ending up with what I could put in my car."

He is part of the group “Vets Helping Vets.” Monday, they're opening up an account at Wells Fargo in the hope of becoming a non-profit to serve homeless vets in emergencies.

McClellan says they hope to "get some things like a vets center for the guys to come to, get a cup of coffee, talk, try and find the resources to fill their needs."

When a friend and fellow homeless vet froze to death a few weeks ago, it sparked a renewed interest in citizen involvement with this problem. Now others are looking into new ways to house the homeless.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Johnson County has a lodge-style facility in the works to house six to eight homeless people with mental illness. The group is applying for a community development block grant for the $400,000 facility.

Former NAMI Director Gene Spaziani says, "They will watch each other in terms of meds and other requirements that they may have jointly."

But a report by the Iowa Council on Homelessness shows veterans are less likely than the rest of the homeless population to have a mental illness. While McClellan and his comrades say that project is a step, they want to make certain their group of homeless heroes isn't forgotten.

He says, "People look down on the homeless, and it's not their fault they're in this situation."

Homeless advocates and supporters will spend the night in boxes and tents during the second annual John's Sleepout in Iowa City on Dec. 8. The event is named for John Stewart, a man who was murdered under a bridge near downtown Iowa City in 2004. To register for the event, call the Shelter House at 319-338-5416, ext. 102.

Email Josh Hinkle at Josh.Hinkle@kcrg.com