Madison Homeless Shelter Faces Closure After Losing Federal Funds

A transitional homeless center in Madison is set to close at the end of this year after losing its funding. Some advocates say the closure reflects a broader shift toward focusing on long-term housing and worry it could leave some homeless people without access to the services they need.

The 14-bed Safe Haven center houses mentally ill guests and is part of Porchlight, a Dane County program focused on the homeless population. Safe Haven coordinator Marjorie Lewis described the center as a, “one stop shop” for residents in need because it offers drop-in services like meals, laundry, and an on-site voluntary psychiatric clinic.

The center lost its funding after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development changed rules for where local agencies could spend federal dollars. The Dane County Homeless Services Consortium made the decision to shift federal funding away from Safe Haven to instead pay for a government-mandated coordinated entry program and other more permanent housing services, according to Lewis.

In the past, some guests would stay at Safe Haven for up to two years receiving services before moving to permanent housing. Lewis said transitional centers like Safe Haven are become less popular. Communities are opting to fund more long-term housing solutions, but Lewis said that could leave gaps.

“I can see the benefits of moving towards a permanent supportive model as a community,” she said. “I just think that there are gaps that this shift is going to leave, some significant gaps for people who have severe mental illness and are literally homeless out on the street.”

Safe Haven is trying to rehouse its current guests, but if they can’t find anything, they might have to go to short-term shelters.

Lewis said Thursday that local company A1 Furniture has pledged a donation in an effort to keep the center open and the owners are encouraging other area businesses to contribute.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 11:20 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017 to include information about A1 Furniture’s donation.