The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has increased its annual grant to address homelessness in Milwaukee County to $4.1 million.
Last year, the county received around $3.52 million. The additional $582,000 is earmarked to assist the chronically homeless, and those participating in the county’s Housing First initiative, with rent. It is expected to help as many as 62 extra households each year.
All Milwaukee residents who qualify to receive assistance with rent through the additional funding will also be eligible to receive wraparound case management services through the county Housing Division’s existing community partners.
“Last year, hundreds of vulnerable Milwaukeeans spent their holidays in shelters or on the streets,” Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele said in a statement. “This year, 200 of those individuals will spend the season in a place of their own thanks to our Housing Division’s initiative to end chronic homelessness. This financial support from the federal government, especially the new source of renewable funding, is a major step towards continuing that progress.”
The county’s Housing First initiative was launched in July 2015 with the goal of housing 300 of the county’s homeless by 2018. So far, around 200 chronically homeless people have been housed through the program, according to county representatives.
The program is a collaboration between several Milwaukee organizations and government entities, including: the Department of Health and Human Services; the Department of Disability Services; the Behavioral Health Division; the City of Milwaukee; the Milwaukee Police Department; the Salvation Army; Cathedral Center; Hope House; Guest House; and Community Advocates.
