Frederica Freyberg:
In Milwaukee this week, three adult men died in the bitter cold. Two found dead outside and one in their car. Being without shelter in these conditions is unimaginable for most of us. While strides were made to help people during the pandemic using federal funds, that money is now drying up and homelessness is once again on the rise in Wisconsin. At the same time, there are proposals in the Legislature that include cracking down on where people can camp outside to live. Latest numbers from this time last year show nearly 5,000 people counted among the unhoused, including nearly 500 with no shelter at all. The highest number since 2012, according to the state Department of Administration, which says the problem is only growing. Agencies across the state are working to help, including the Wisconsin Balance of State Continuum of Care. Its director, Carrie Poser, joins us now. Thanks very much for being here.

Carrie Poser:
Thank you for having me.

Frederica Freyberg:
What are the biggest drivers of increasing homelessness in Wisconsin right now?

Carrie Poser:
I would say that there’s two kind of equal drivers: one, the lack of available housing options for people. Because of that, it stalls out the system. People can’t move from shelter to permanent housing. People can’t get access into a spot in the shelter so people remain unsheltered, bouncing around. Sometimes even staying in dangerous situations. At the same time, there’s not enough mental health and substance use treatment options for those that want and need it. So there are more people suffering and not enough services to meet those increasingly complex needs.

Frederica Freyberg:
Weren’t federal funds able to help deliver more permanent solutions by way of shelters or low-income housing?

Carrie Poser:
So during the pandemic, there was an influx of COVID funds for things like shelter, funding to build housing and funds for eviction prevention. There was not more funding made available for rent assistance in case management for those people with the highest needs, the most vulnerable population.

Frederica Freyberg:
So we often think of homelessness as a particularly urban problem, but is it?

Carrie Poser:
No. Homelessness exists in every county within Wisconsin. So the 69 counties that are represented by the Balance of State organization make up over 60% of the people counted during the point in time. That includes people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Rural communities often have less resource options than urban, so less services, less housing, less agencies available. And although urban have more of those options, they don’t have enough to meet their current needs.

Frederica Freyberg:
So you just spoke to something called point in time. That is a count of people who are experiencing homelessness and that comes up every January and July. Is that right? So there’s one coming up soon?

Carrie Poser:
Next week, yeah. It’s the fourth Wednesday overnight in January and July.

Frederica Freyberg:
And is the expectation again that these numbers will rise above last year’s?

Carrie Poser:
Correct. Unfortunately, in 2023, so in January’s count, there were 268 people sleeping outside in the 69 counties I cover. Looking at somewhere, you know, north of 2,000 people — 2,000 households and almost 3,000 people that were in shelters, unsheltered or in transitional facilities. And that number continues to grow.

Frederica Freyberg:
So I know that the Wisconsin Emergency Rental Assistance Program ended in 2023 and with it, more than $250 million that was helping more than 66,000 households. Evictions, therefore, are now up. What does this spell?

Carrie Poser:
Certainly. So that program that you referenced was something that we call an eviction prevention program. It was specifically designed to stop evictions from happening to help people stay in their homes. Unfortunately, it’s not necessarily a homeless prevention program. Not all people or households that are evicted end up homeless. So unfortunately, without investing funds in homeless prevention, looking upstream and targeting those folks that are at the greatest risk of becoming homeless, not only are you going to see evictions, but you’re also going to see an increase in homelessness.

Frederica Freyberg:
Meanwhile, the Legislature is considering a bill that would criminalize camping on public property not sanctioned by the state. What is your reaction to that measure going through the Legislature right now?

Carrie Poser:
Yeah. So the Cicero Institute is a leading proponent of this proposal and it’s not just happening in Wisconsin. It’s coming up in states all across the country. Unfortunately, it perpetuates a false and often harmful narrative as to the causes of homelessness along with the potential solutions. Rounding people up and putting them in a place established by a city or a state and making it a crime to be anywhere else does not end homelessness. Oftentimes it’s counterproductive, it’s expensive, it’s harmful and it’s dehumanizing. If the purpose of those bills is to address, is to truly address the unsheltered homeless uptick in this state, then we need investment in a variety of different things, including crisis housing, shelters, outreach, engagement, landlord incentives to get landlords to agree to work with our programs and the people we’re trying to serve, but rounding people up isn’t the answer.

Frederica Freyberg:
With about half a minute left, what do you know about the appetite for more investments of the kind that you just mentioned?

Carrie Poser:
You know, that’s a good question. Under the Walker administration, there were several proposals to increase funding for diversion and outreach and other items within the homeless crisis response system and, unfortunately, even under the lieutenant governor’s leadership at that time, they still stalled out in the Legislature. I know that Governor Evers is interested in addressing and making some good investments in homelessness. We just need the Legislature to come along board.

Frederica Freyberg:
Carrie Poser, thanks very much. Thanks for your work.

Carrie Poser:
Thank you so much for having me.