Here & Now

Soglin Renews Push For Homelessness Initiative

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ONE POLITICIAN IN MADISON WANTS TO CLEAN UP HIS DOWNTOWN. MAYOR PAUL SOGLIN PROPOSES A NEW ORDINANCE THAT WOULD PROHIBIT PEOPLE FROM LYING DOWN OR SLEEPING ON A PUBLIC SIDEWALK IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT BETWEEN 7:00 IN THE MORNING AND 10:00 AT NIGHT. A FIRST-TIME VIOLATION WOULD RESULT IN A $10 FINE. SOGLIN IS TRYING TO GET AT THE HABITS OF SOME IN THE HOMELESS POPULATION IN HIS CITY AND MODELS THE NEW LAW ON SIMILAR ORDINANCES IN PORTLAND AND HONOLULU.

PAUL SOGLIN:

IN RECENT MONTHS, WE’VE GOT A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SLEEPING IN PUBLIC AREAS AND BY 8:00, 9:00 IN THE MORNING, WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE IS GOING TO WORK, GOING TO SCHOOL AND TRYING TO ENJOY THE PUBLIC SPACE, THEY’RE WALKING THROUGH AN AREA THAT LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE’S DISHEVELED BEDROOM.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

MADISON MAYOR PAUL SOGLIN SAYS THERE ARE ABOUT 20 OR SO CHRONICALLY HOMELESS PEOPLE WHO HE WANTS TO, QUOTE, PICK UP THEIR SIDEWALK BEDROOMS DURING THE DAY.

PAUL SOGLIN:

WE’RE NOT SAYING YOU CAN’T SLEEP IN THAT SPOT. WE’RE NOT SAYING YOU CAN’T USE THE PUBLIC AREA TO SLEEP. WE’RE SIMPLY SAYING PICK UP YOUR STUFF.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

BUT ADVOCATES FOR THE HOMELESS SAY THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE MOVES MADISON IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.

BRENDA KONKEL:

THESE TYPES OF PROPOSALS MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT ON US. WE SPEND LOTS OF HOURS IN MEETINGS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THE HOMELESS PEOPLE INTO HOUSING AND PART OF THAT IS TRYING TO GET LANDLORDS TO RENT TO HOMELESS PEOPLE. WHEN THE MAYOR IS OUT THERE SAYING HOW TERRIBLE HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE FOR THE DOWNTOWN, IT JUST MAKES OUR JOBS A LOT HARDER.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT’S MOST RECENT COUNT IN 2015 FOUND ABOUT 6,000 HOMELESS HOUSEHOLDS IN WISCONSIN. NEARLY 800 IN MADISON. 1500 IN MILWAUKEE. AND CLOSER TO 170 IN RACINE. AND SO THE PROBLEM EXISTS ACROSS THE STATE, BUT ADVOCATES SAY AS A CITY MADISON HAS A PARTICULAR PROBLEM. THE RENTAL VACANCY RATE HOVERS AROUND 2%, WHILE WITH AN INFLUX OF HIGH-TECH WORKERS AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. THIS MEANS THE MARKET BEARS HIGHER RENTS, STRAINING LOWER-INCOME TENANTS.

BRENDA KONKEL:

IT’S A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT FOR ANYBODY WHO’S LIVING IN MADISON TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE RENTS. SOME OF THE ONE-BEDROOMS ARE $1,000 NOW. PEOPLE ARE JUST REALLY STRUGGLING TO BE ABLE TO PAY THAT AMOUNT OF RENT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

BRENDA KONKEL SAYS AS OF LAST WEEK, ADVOCATES COUNTED 750 HOMELESS PEOPLE LOOKING FOR HOUSES IN MADISON. WAIT LISTS ARE LONG FOR AFFORDABLE UNITS. NOTWITHSTANDING THE DISPUTE OVER A NEW ORDINANCE ON DAYTIME SIDEWALK SLEEPING, THE CITY AND ITS MAYOR ARE BEING PRAISED FOR A VERY RECENT ADDITION TO ITS HOUSING STOCK, A BRAND NEW 60-UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING SPECIFICALLY FOR HOMELESS VETERANS AND THE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.

JENNIFER SHIELDS:

THERE’S NEVER BEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. YOU COULD GO TO SALVATION ARMY AND SPEND THE NIGHT IN PLACES LIKE THAT, BUT THEY DON’T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THIS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WELCOME TO JENNIFER SHIELDS’ NEW APARTMENT. SHE MOVED IN THREE WEEKS AGO.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO WHAT IS THIS LIKE?

JENNIFER SHIELDS’:

GREAT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SHIELDS SAYS AT AGE 54 SHE’S BEEN HOMELESS AND ON THE STREET IN MADISON FOR 15 YEARS, A RESULT, SHE SAYS, OF DRUGS AND ALCOHOL, MENTAL ILLNESS, DIVORCE. NOW SHE’S ABLE TO DISPLAY FAMILY PHOTOS AND FAMILY HEIRLOOMS AND CAN KEEP HER THERAPY DOG.

JENNIFER SHIELDS’:

I’M MAKING SOME HOMEMADE MASHED POTATOES. I HAVE A ROAST COOKING, FRIED FISH, GREEN BEANS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

THE APARTMENT BUILDING IS PART OF A HOUSING FIRST PHILOSOPHY STARTED IN NEW YORK CITY.

SKYLER VAN DE WEERD:

HOUSING FIRST IS THE IDEA THAT EVERYBODY HAS PROBLEMS AND BARRIERS TO HOUSING, MENTAL HEALTHY, PHYSICAL HEALTH, DISABILITIES, SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDERS. SO YOU GET THEM IN HOUSING FIRST AND IT’S PROVEN TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAT THEY’LL BE ABLE TO HANDLE THOSE ISSUES PRODUCTIVELY WHEN THEY HAVE SOMEWHERE SAFE TO COME HOME TO AT NIGHT.

JENNIFER SHIELDS’:

ONCE YOU GET STABLE, YOU CAN TAKE A SHOWER IN THE MORNING, YOU CAN EAT BREAKFAST, YOU CAN GET DRESSED. YOU HAVE A PLACE TO KEEP EVERYTHING AND THEN YOU’RE ABLE TO MAINTAIN, GET ON THE BUS, GO TO YOUR MEETINGS. BUT WHEN YOU’RE JUST OUT THERE, THAT JUST DOESN’T HAPPEN.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHILE THE NEW HOUSING FIRST BUILDING IN MADISON CHIPS AWAY AT THE HOMELESS NUMBER WITH ITS 60 INDIVIDUAL UNITS, ADVOCATES SAY TO FILL THE NEED THE CITY NEEDS TEN TIMES AS MANY. MEANWHILE, THE PROPOSAL TO CLEAN UP THE STREETS IS WINDING ITS WAY THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS AT CITY HALL.