Interagency Council on Homelessness launches "Welcoming Wisconsin Home: A Statewide Action Plan for Homelessness 2021-2023"
February 28, 2022 - The Wisconsin Interagency Council on Homelessness today launched "Welcoming Wisconsin Home: A Statewide Action Plan for Homelessness 2021-2023". This is the result of two years' work by the Council, its workgroup, and input from communities, agencies, and concerned citizens statewide.
Click here to download the "Welcoming Wisconsin Home" statewide action plan.
Click here to download the Plan's Full Performance Metrics (Updated September 2023).
Click here to read Governor Evers' press release on the launching of "Welcoming Wisconsin Home".
The Wisconsin Eviction Data Project Website is Live
May 13, 2021 - The Wisconsin Interagency Council on Homelessness is pleased to announce the launching of the Wisconsin Eviction Data Project website. At this site you will be able to view per-county counts of eviction filings and judgements collected per-month in real time.
About the Interagency Council on Homelessness
The Wisconsin Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) was created by
2017 Wisconsin Act 74, which received unanimous support in both the Assembly and the Senate. It meets under existing statutory authority with the goal of preventing and ending homelessness in the state of Wisconsin.
The membership of the Interagency Council on Homelessness:
Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, Chair
Secretary-Designee Kathy Blumenfeld (Department of Administration)
Secretary-Designee Kirsten Johnson (Department of Health Services)
Secretary-Designee James Bond (Department of Veterans Affairs)
Secretary Emilie Amundson (Department of Children and Families)
Secretary-Designee Jared Hoy (Department of Corrections)
Deputy Secretary Pam McGillivray (Department of Workforce Development)
Elmer Moore, Jr., Executive Director (Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority)
State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly (Department of Public Instruction)
Torrie Kopp Mueller (Dane County Continuum of Care)
Rafael Acevedo, Jr. (Milwaukee Continuum of Care)
Teresa Reinders (Continuum of Care for the City and County of Racine)
Carrie Poser (Balance of State Continuum of Care)
2017 Act 74 also authorized a full-time Director to lead the activities of the council and coordinate the implementation of policies established by the ICH. Governor Evers appointed Michael Basford to be the current director in May, 2019. The Council confirmed the nomination in June, 2019.
Per state statutes, the Council holds four quarterly meetings per year and eight workgroup sessions. The schedule for 2024 meetings is here. [Until further notice, meetings will be held virtually - consult meeting notices for links and further information.] Click here to view materials from meetings.
Member Agencies and Select State Programs
Department of Administration
| Name | Type | Purpose |
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Critical Assistance (CA) | State | Provide direct emergency financial assistance for rent, security deposit, foreclosure prevention |
Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA)
| Federal to State | Provide funds to meet housing needs of persons with AIDS |
State Shelter Subsidy Grant (SSSG)
| State | Provide funds to emergency shelters and motel voucher programs |
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Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) | Federal to State | Provide rental assistance funds, must be partnered wth supportive services |
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Emergency Shelter, Housing, Homeless Prevention Program (EHH) | Federal and State | Provide funds for street outreach, emergency shelter, homeless prevention, and rapid re-housing |
Employment Grant
| State | Provides funds to a municipality to connect homeless individuals with permanent employment
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Homeless Case Management Services Grant | State | Provides funds for intensive case management services to homeless families. The services focus on providing financial management, employment, ensuring school continuation for children, and enrolling unemployed or underemployed parents in W-2 or FSET. |
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Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) | Federal to State | Provide funding to units of general local governments to develop viable communities through the provision of decent affordable housing, a suitable living environment, and the expansion of economic opportunities, principally for the benefit of persons of low and moderate income. |
Rental Housing Development Program (RHD)
| Federal to State | Assists eligible housing organizations, including Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs), with funds to develop affordable rental housing. For-profit corporations may partner with the above-mentioned groups or apply directly for RHD funds. Funds may be used for acquisition, rehabilitation and new construction activities. |
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WI Weatherization Assistance Program | State | Provides funds to various agencies throughout the state to provide weatherization services to eligible households. Agencies include community action agencies, housing authorities, local governments and other non-profit organizations. |
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WI Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP) | Federal and State | Provides assistance for heating costs, electric costs, and energy crisis situations.
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Department of Children and Families| Name | Type | Purpose |
|---|
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Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) | Federal or State | Provide street outreach, emergency shelter, and transitional living programs to runaway and homeless youth. |
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Emergency Assistance (EA) | Federal to State | Provides one-time cash payment to help low-income parents pay an emergency housing or utility-related expense. |
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Wisconsin Works | State | Provides temporary cash assistance and case management services to low-income parents and pregnant women. Funding and services are time-limited. |
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Independent Living - Transition Resource | State | Regional Transition Resource Agencies are responsible for providing Independent Living services for youth ages 18-21, who are no longer in out-of-home care.
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Department of Health Services| Name | Type | Purpose |
|---|
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Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness | Federal to State | Provide funds to serve individuals with serious mental illness and substance use who are homeless – eligible activities include: outreach, screening/diagnosis, case management, AODA treatment, supportive services. |
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SSI/SSDI Outreach and Recovery (SOAR) | Federal to State | Assist people who are homeless expedite SSI/SSDI application process and access benefits. |
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Emergency Food Assistance (TEFAP) | Federal to State | TEFAP is a federal program that provides food commodities to distribution sites – food pantries & meal sites. |
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Foodshare Employment Training (FSET) | State | FSET is a free program that helps FoodShare members build their job skills and find jobs. |
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Medicaid | Federal and State | Manages Medicaid health insurance for those age 65 or older, blind, or disabled. |
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BadgerCare Plus | Federal and State | A health care coverage program for low-income Wisconsin residents. |
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Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC) | State | Connect to resources, assistance in applying for Medicaid & SSI, provide benefit specialists. |
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Community Mental Health Programs | Federal and State | Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) – County/Tribal level for mental health, AODA, or dual
Community Support Programs (CSP) - mental health
Community Recovery Services (CRS) - AODA
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Department of Veteran's Affairs| Name | Type | Purpose |
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HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) | Federal to State | Combines Section 8 housing choice voucher (HCV) rental assistance for homeless Veterans and case management and clinical services provided by VA. |
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Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program (SSVF) | Federal to State | DVA awards grants to private non-profit organizations to provide outreach, case management, & assist in obtaining VA and other benefits. Eligible activities in prevention or rapid re-housing. |
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Assistance to Needy Veterans Grant (ANVG) | State | Provides limited financial assistance to those in need and who have exhausted all other sources of aid. The grants may be used for specified health care and subsistence needs up to maximum grant limits. |
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Veteran Housing and Recovery Program (VHRP) | State | Designed to help homeless veterans receive the job training, education, counseling and rehabilitative services they need to obtain steady employment, affordable housing and the skills to sustain a productive lifestyle. |
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Veterans Outreach and Recovery Program (VORP) | State | Provides assistance and support Veterans with all aspects of daily living with a focus on home, health, recovery, purpose, and community. This includes National Guard and Reserve service members.
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Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority| Name | Type | Purpose |
|---|
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Section 8 - Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program | Federal to State | Helps families with very low to extremely low incomes rent decent, safe, sanitary and affordable housing of their choice. Note that WHEDA does not distribute or accept Housing Choice Voucher applications directly, rather through contracted agencies. |
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WHEDA Housing Grant Program | State | Provides an annual competition for grant funds with the mission to assist in the improvement of the state's housing for the following special needs populations. |
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Low-Income Housing Tax Credit | Federal and State | Provides a dollar-for-dollar reduction of federal income taxes owed by owners/investors in qualified projects for tenants whose incomes are at or below 60% of County Median Income (CMI). The LIHTC program creates housing that is affordable for low- and moderate-income households including elderly, chronically homeless, workforce, individuals & families.
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Department of Corrections| Name | Type | Purpose |
|---|
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Emergency Housing | State | Day to day accommodations at hotels/motels or boarding houses (30-60 days). |
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Short-Term Housing | State | Year round contracted housing beds with no site checks (60-90 days). |
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Supplemental Housing | State | Offender leased housing where DCC may pay all or part of the monthly rent (60- 90 days). |
Transitional Housing
| State | Housing is provided in the form of one to two bedroom apartment(s) or a facility with multiple single- or double-occupancy bedrooms with access to congregate living areas and shared kitchen. The contractor supplies all bedding, household supplies, food, and staff supervision via random on-site inspections. Offenders attend on-site program services as determined by their agent and are allowed to work if they have outside employment. |
Department of Workforce Development| Name | Type | Purpose |
|---|
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Workforce Innovataion and Opportunities Act (WIOA) | Federal to State | WIOA seeks to more fully integrate states' workforce and talent development systems to better serve employers and job seekers. |
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Veteran Employment Program | State | Assist Veterans enter the workforce through targeted business engagement and effective employment services. DWD & DVA offer a WI Veteran Employment Grant Program to encourage Wisconsin employers to hire and retain eligible Veterans. |
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Vocational Rehabilitation | State | VR services are any services described in a plan for employment necessary to assist a consumer in preparing for, securing, retaining or regaining an employment outcome that is consistent with the strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests and informed choice of the consumer.
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Department of Public Instruction| Name | Type | Purpose |
|---|
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Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) | Federal and State | The program's major responsibility is to implement the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Homeless children and unaccompanied homeless youth must have equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, and other services as provided to other children and youths to ensure that homeless children and youth have an opportunity to meet the same challenging State academic standards to which all students are held.
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