Press Release: Gov. Evers Announces Homelessness Project Grant Awardees

MADISON— Gov. Tony Evers, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority Executive Director Joaquin Altoro, and Wisconsin Interagency Council on Homelessness Director Michael Basford announced today the awarding of a total of $500,000 in grants to 13 different agencies across Wisconsin for projects to help people experiencing homelessness. 

“Addressing homelessness and housing insecurity has been and continues to be among my administration’s top priorities,” said Gov. Evers. “We have to get to work on investing in programs and projects that can help us support folks who are homeless or experiencing housing insecurity across our state, and these grants are a critical first step.”

The grant awards are the result of a process that was started in June when the WHEDA Board of Directors approved making available to the Interagency Council $500,000 in statewide funding for programs that help people experiencing homelessness. 

Forty-four agencies in 25 counties responded to the request for applications – totaling over $3,000,000 in requests. A committee of Council members scored the applications and the grants were awarded to the 13 applications that scored highest.

“As a member of the Governor’s Interagency Council on Homelessness, WHEDA is proud to have provided funding to help fight homelessness in Wisconsin,” said WHEDA Executive Director Joaquin Altoro. “The grant recipients are valuable partners that supply safe housing to persons in desperate need of a place to live.”

Funds will be distributed to the grantees as soon as contracts can be processed. Completion of the projects are expected within the next nine months.

“ADVOCAP's focus has been to identify and fill gaps in housing needs in the communities we serve.  Currently, we have over 100 single persons on our coordinated entry list, who need a single bedroom or SRO.  We have been unable to provide them with housing because there are no affordable single bedroom units available,” said Lu Scheer, Affordable Housing Director for ADVOCAP. “This funding will allow ADVOCAP to purchase a property that had been used as temporary overflow housing for a specific population, and to almost immediately provide eight 1-bedroom units.”

“That we received so many excellent and worthy of funding applications shows the serious need for investment in agencies that are helping Wisconsin’s most vulnerable citizens,” said ICH Director Michael Basford. “We’re grateful for WHEDA’s financial commitment to funding these programs and look forward to the results of this good work.”

The projects being awarded these grant funds are: 

• ADVOCAP will be awarded $100,000 to help purchase a building in Oshkosh for a permanent supportive housing project that will provide 13 units of housing.
• Community Outreach Temporary Services will be awarded $70,000 for renovations and HVAC upgrades at their transitional housing facility in Appleton.
• Newcap will be awarded $70,000 to help purchase a duplex in Brown County to provide two permanent supportive housing units.
• Racine Revitalization Partnership will be awarded $50,000 to help purchase 2 dwellings in Racine which will provide three permanent supportive housing units.
• YWCA of Madison will receive $50,000 for rehabilitation at their Downtown Madison location, which has 111 units.
• Housing Initiatives will receive $28,500 for security upgrades for 15 permanent supportive housing units in Madison.
• Friends, Inc. will receive $28,000 for rehabilitation at their emergency shelter in West Bend.
• Shawano Area Matthew 25 will receive $25,000 for rehabilitation and accessibility upgrades for their emergency shelter in Shawano.
• Harbor House Crisis Shelters will receive $25,000 to help purchase five units of permanent supportive housing in Superior.
• Tellurian will receive $20,000 for rehabilitation at their SRO project in Madison.
• House of Hope Green Bay will receive $16,500 for security upgrades at their emergency shelter in Green Bay.
• Madison Area Urban Ministry will receive $13,000 for repairs at their medical shelter in Madison.
• Our Neighbors’ Place will receive $4,000 for repairs at their transitional housing facility in River Falls.