ICH Documents
2022 Wisconsin Interagency Council on Homelessness Annual Report to the Governor and State Legislature
2021 Wisconsin Interagency Council on Homelessness Annual Report to the Governor and State Legislature
2020 Wisconsin Interagency Council on Homelessness Annual Report to the Governor and State Legislature
2019 Wisconsin Interagency Council on Homelessness Annual Report to the Governor and State Legislature
2020-2021 State Agency Presentation Files
Department of Children and Families (presented at 2-11-20 Workgroup Meeting)
Department of Veterans Affairs (presented at 3-12-20 Workgroup Meeting)
Department of Administration (presented at 8-19-20 Workgroup Meeting)
Department of Corrections (presented at 10-6-20 Workgroup Meeting)
Department of Health Services (presented at 10-14-20 Workgroup Meeting)
Department of Workforce Development (presented at 12-2-20 Workgroup Meeting)
- Homeless Population Served by Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
- Homeless Population Served by Division of Employment and Training
- Homelessness and the Open Housing Law by Equal Rights Division
Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (presented at 3-11-21 Workgroup Meeting)
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (presented at 3-16-21 Workgroup Meeting)
Vision Statement & Statewide Plan
By adopting this plan and the strategies it contains, the Wisconsin Interagency Council on Homelessness is endorsing a vision for homeless services. That vision is built on the following principles:
1) The Wisconsin Interagency Council on Homelessness affirms the idea that housing is a human right. The Council affirms the idea that everybody who wants and needs a safe, stable, and affordable home should have access to one. Included in this is the need to address the criminalization of homelessness where it emerges in Wisconsin.
2) Ending homelessness as we know it in Wisconsin means creating conditions where any future instances of homelessness are rare, brief, and non-recurring.
3) Housing is the lodestone for better outcomes throughout society. Do you wish to see your community’s economy improve? Invest in housing. Do you wish to see your schools have better test scores and outcomes? Invest in housing. Do you wish to see crime rates go down? Invest in housing. Do you wish to see families stay together and thrive? Invest in housing. Do you wish to see better physical and mental health outcomes in the community? Invest in housing. Are you a business owner who wishes to have a better pool of potential employees in your local workforce? Invest in housing. Connecting the dots between housing and these outcomes is a primary priority for the Council.
4) For people experiencing homelessness in Wisconsin, the single greatest barrier to securing stable housing is the lack of affordable housing unit availability. This is true in every area of the state, regardless of whether the area is urban, suburban, or rural. As communities throughout the state and the federal government commit to investing more to develop affordable housing for people with low incomes and extremely low incomes, Wisconsin needs to be a major partner in this investment.
5) The goal of ending homelessness as we know it in Wisconsin is inextricable from the moral imperative to address the effects of a long history of racial disparities in the homelessness system and housing markets. In a state where 83 percent of the population is white, less than 50 percent of people who are served by homelessness programs are white. This, and many other realities that outline racial disparities in housing and homelessness, is unacceptable to the Council. Wisconsin needs to identify, and fix, these disparities if we are to end homelessness as we know it.
6) The Council supports the principles of Housing First for all programs that serve people experiencing homelessness in Wisconsin. The success of Housing First requires sufficient investment in case management and wrap-around supportive services to address client needs such as mental health disorders, substance use disorders, life skills training, and job training and placement. Additionally, success also requires the embrace of known person-centered, evidence-based, trauma-informed, and culturally competent practices that promote housing stability. This principle doesn’t preclude supporting development of recovery housing programs – where such programs do not adhere to Housing First principles.
Previous 2019-2022 Statewide Action Plan
Helpful Links
Institute for Community Alliances (Wisconsin HMIS Administrator)
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
National Alliance to End Homelessness
National Low-Income Housing Coalition
Wisconsin Balance of State Continuum of Care
Milwaukee Continuum of Care
Homeless Services Consortium of Dane County
Continuum of Care for the City and County of Racine, U.A.