BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – Volunteers in Brown County hit the streets early Thursday morning to count the number of homeless people living outside.
“This is a mandated count by HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development),” says Jennifer Schmohe, Public Affairs Committee Chair for the Brown County Housing and Homeless Coalition. “We have several agencies in our community who receive funding from HUD. We also want to do the count so we can try and convince people to get services so we can get them off the street.”
After working from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. canvassing neighborhoods county-wide, Schmohe says they counted 39 people on the street. That’s up from 33 at this time last year.
“We are anticipating that the number is going to be even higher,” Schmohe says, indicating that they have until 5 p.m. Friday to count individuals. “We anticipate at least 10 to 12 more households that will present.”
There are many factors involved in why a person become homeless. Officials say it may be due to job loss, eviction, lack of affordable housing, or a combination of them.
“Homelessness is one of the most complex issues,” says Schmohe. “I think one of the key factors in this community — we don’t have a lot of affordable housing. We have a lot of landlords who are not really tolerant of individuals who are struggling and trying to make ends meet.”
Schmohe believes their Housing Resource Day is a step in the right direction. Housing Resource Day is the 4th Thursday of every month at Central Church.
Often times, officials point out, persons experiencing homelessness are battling loss of employment, untreated mental illness, addiction or domestic violence.
“We’ve certainly seen a spike in people who are experiencing mental health issues who are not able to get services to allow them to stabilize enough to even live in just a hotel environment,” Schmohe says. “We also don’t have enough services (AODA) for individuals who need a place to just even go and dry out before even going in to treatment.”
You can found out more by visiting the Brown County Homeless and Housing Coalition website.
