Milwaukee resists national homelessness trend

A recent federal report shows homelessness documented in one night jumped 18 percent nationwide last year. But in Milwaukee, the number of people without homes declined, bucking trends both nationally and in nearby cities.

Each January, cities across the country conduct a single-night “point-in-time” count of the number of people outside, in shelters and temporary housing. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently reported the January 2024 count, showing over 770,000 people were experiencing homelessness, up 18 percent from 2023.

But in Milwaukee city and county, that number fell about 16 percent, from 1,056 people in 2023 to 885 in 2024.

Compared to states like Washington and California, which counted 31,554 and 187,084 homeless people respectively, Wisconsin only had 5,049, according to the count. 

The trend in Milwaukee does not mirror other areas in the state. In Madison and Dane County, the count rose from 624 in 2023 to 736 in 2024.

There are a few things that make the Milwaukee area’s approach to homelessness unique, local organizers said. 

First off, the county’s “Housing First” strategy prioritizes offering people housing before requiring lifestyle changes like employment or sobriety. 

“Housing First is kind of a set of practices, but also a philosophy that housing is a human right,” said Krystina Kohler, the financial stability impact manager at United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County. “So to end homelessness, you need to get people into housing as quickly as possible.” 

Other communities may try other steps first, or criminalize homelessness, Kohler said. Housing First could be why the Milwaukee area has been successful, she said. 

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said in a statement that the numbers show “our collective efforts are producing encouraging results.”

“We hope this shows leaders and partners that the Housing First approach, along with wraparound services, is the model we must invest in if we are going to continue making progress in reducing homelessness,” he stated.

Milwaukee could also be unique in its collaborative approach to homelessness. 

“I think we just have a unique relationship between our city, our county and our local United Way,” Kohler said.

The collaboration has allowed the group to fund projects that wouldn’t be possible otherwise, she said. 

A specific strategy that likely helped decrease the 2024 count was county efforts to engage landlords, said James Mathy, an administrator at the Milwaukee County Department of Health & Human Services Housing Division. 

“We had very low point-in-time counts, and then saw a rise in 2023. And one of the things that we did was put a lot more effort into landlord engagement,” Mathy said.

Historically, it’s difficult to find landlords willing to rent to people who have been homeless. A 2024 “Landlord Incentives to Foster Tenancy” program helped, he said, by providing county funds to help pay for security deposits and utilities.

Rising rents could setback progress

Despite the work their teams have done, city, county and community organizers expect this year’s point-in-time count — set for the end of January — to show an increase in homelessness. 

“I would be very surprised if we didn’t see some sort of increase,” Mathy said. “We’ve really thrown every county resource we can think of towards homelessness, and it’s a little hard to keep up.”

The problem is simple: rent is rising in the Milwaukee area. And when rent increases, so does homelessness. 

The county can’t help as many people when the cost of rent goes up, Mathy said. It receives limited federal funds for rent vouchers.

“This past six months or so has been a real challenge for us,” he said. 

Those rent vouchers are key to reducing homelessness, he said. 

People who are homeless are often working through trauma, mental illness and addiction.

“But the biggest thing that people struggle with right now is housing affordability,” Mathy said.

Milwaukee area organizers said they need more affordable housing, local investors and a slowed pace of rent increase.

Next count is soon

Rafael Acevedo leads the region’s point in time counts. 

This year, it’s set for Jan 22. 

“We start planning this months before,” said Acevedo, the City of Milwaukee’s grant compliance manager. “We’re out from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day.” 

Acevedo helped conduct another count in July, and found about 250 people unsheltered.

“That’s high for our city,” he said. “Talking to my peers across the state, they’re seeing those kind of numbers as well. Those numbers are definitely increasing.”

He echoed that rent is the biggest hurdle for many. 

“It’s challenging for, I think, any individual to find housing that’s affordable,” said Acevedo. “But for the population we’re serving, it makes it even more challenging.”