Monthly Homeless Population Remains The Same

Wisconsin’s homeless population has remained relatively stable during the past few years, according to a semiannual report.

The number of unsheltered homeless people has gone down during that same time, but advocates warn that doesn’t mean the situation is improving.

Every January and July, community action agencies and homeless shelters do a physical count, which is used by the state and federal government to determine need-based funding and grants. The latest report from 2013 lists 6,076 people as homeless in Wisconsin. That’s only up 76 people compared to last year and nearly identical to the totals from 2011. Chris Lashock is the client services director for The Emergency Shelter of the Fox Valley in Appleton. He says while the statewide numbers seem to have stabilized an extra 1,000 people have gone homeless since 2009 and any increase is bad news.

“Fortunately we haven’t seen a drastic jump in the numbers, but the fact that it does slowly continue to climb should raise some concern in the number of people that are experiencing homelessness.”

But at the same time the number of unsheltered homeless people counted has gone down. In January 2011, there were 700 people found living in cars, doorways or under bridges, but this year there were fewer than 400. Lashock says part of that is likely due to a major winter storm during the count, but he says a number of new seasonal warming shelters are helping.

“We’ve been fortunate to be able to get a large chunk of that population off the streets and into some form of a shelter, and at least protect them from the elements during those times.”

Lashock says a major concern for homeless advocates are sequestration cuts. They’ve been spared so far because this year’s funding was already allocated. The next homeless count will be July 31 of this year.