Homelessness down nationally, but up in Wisconsin

[TheMightyFavog]

http://news.wpr.org/post/homelessness-down-nationally-wisconsin

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found that since 2011, homelessness has gone down about 4 percent nationally. In Wisconsin, it's gone up 5.5 percent.

Steven Schooler is the executive director of Porchlight, a Madison organization that works with homeless people. He says upper- and middle-class people had an easier time recovering from the recession, but it's still hitting those in poverty hard. “For those folks that really were at the lower end of the ... socio-economic strata, they never really did recover. The jobs that have been created really didn't cover those folks. As we know, there are a lot of folks that just have given up looking for work.”

Schooler says that's why he's seeing a continued rise in homelessness and an increasing number of people coming to Porchlight's emergency shelter.

At Milwaukee's Hope House, executive director Ken Schmidt says food stamp cuts have brought more people to the shelter, since a family's housing budget now goes towards food. “I mean, there's only so much money. Having less money with food stamps does hurt that household budget.”

Considering how cold it's been these last few days, I cannot imagine what it's like. One of our regulars at work is homeless and lives in her beat up old Ford Tempo. I have not seen her around for the past week. I seriously hope she's found somewhere warm to stay, and that she hasn't frozen to death.

Thanks, Scott Walker!

[libodem]

1. This infuriates me

My inner hulk wants to emerge turn green and smash up something. My blood is boiling!

[elehhhhna]

2. 'scons' used to be a great great state

wtf

[TheMightyFavog]

6. Motivated teabagger base in a redistricting year + apathetic voters + piss poor dem candidates

= Single party rule in Wisconsin.

[postulater]

3. The homeless are all just Takers!

They want to Take a warm bed.

They want to Take a hot cup of coffee.

They want to Take a warm breakfast.

They want to Take a christmas present to their kid.

Thanks, Scott Walker, the REAL Taker.

(slowly turns from the keyboard and screams at the air)

[William769]

4. 8.7 % of our nation's homeless live in Florida.

Florida also has the third highest rate of unsheltered homeless person's (64.1%).

[TheMightyFavog]

5. I know it's no consolation, but at least they're warmer in Florida.

Tonight's forecast up by me: Lows projected to reach -6 F with wind chills approaching -25 F.

[William769]

7. Our low tonight is 65 degrees.

I should also note that a lot of our homeless are transients and our homeless population rises in the winter months.

[seveneyes]

8. Vermont homeless is up 27.1 percent!

You can click on the interactive map to see each states homeless situation. Is there any way to tell if an upswing is due to residents becoming homeless or due to new arrivals?

[TheMightyFavog]

9. North Dakota's rate went up 243%!

That has to do with the housing shortages caused by the oil boom out there, surely. I hate to see what's going to happen when that boom goes bust.