Homelessness Awareness Week
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United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County

Homelessness Awareness Week

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Homelessness Awareness Week runs October 27 – November 2, 2024, across greater Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. The purpose of this week is to increase public education on the current state of homelessness in our local communities. 

 

Homelessness Awareness Week Press Conference

Monday, October 28, 2024 
9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. 

United Way Johnson Controls Volunteer Center
200 W. Pleasant St.
Milwaukee, WI 53212 

Press conference of government officials discussing work being done in our communities to address homelessness. Confirmed speakers include Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly, Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services Director Shakita LaGrant-McClain, and United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County president & CEO Amy Lindner. Additional speakers will be available to answer questions about street homelessness, warming rooms, and calling 2-1-1 to get connected to resources.


Aging without a Home: Addressing the Growing Issue of Housing Insecurity & Homelessness Among Our Aging Population

Tuesday, October 29, 2024
8:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. 

Direct Supply
7301 W. Champions Way
Milwaukee, WI 53223

Join us for a special community symposium on October 29 at Direct Supply focused on addressing the growing crisis of older adults. Nationally, adults aged 50+ are the fastest-growing age group among those experiencing homelessness. A significant contributing factor is that older adults reliant on fixed incomes often struggle to cover basic living expenses, including housing. Co-occurring cognitive disabilities, mental health challenges, and physical issues further complicate their ability to maintain stable housing. Wisconsin’s population is older than the national average, and this trend is expected to continue as Baby Boomers age and birth rates remain low. During the event, we will hear from a panel of experts as we learn about and explore innovative solutions designed to meet the unique needs of this population, ensuring stability and well-being.

Register


Exploring the Criminalization of Homelessness: Street Outreach & Homelessness  Advocacy Panel

Tuesday, October 29, 2024
12:00 p.m.-12:45 p.m. 

A recent Supreme Court decision (City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, 6/28/2024) enforced criminal punishment of individuals sleeping unsheltered. How does this affect the way Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha address homelessness? This panel discussion of street outreach workers and local law enforcement will dive into the issue with opportunities to ask questions and learn about ways to engage in homelessness advocacy. This free virtual event is open to the public. 

Register


Landlord Appreciation Event

Wednesday, October 30, 2024
5:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. 

United Way Johnson Controls Volunteer Center
200 W. Pleasant St.
Milwaukee, WI 53212

Milwaukee agencies will highlight programs that work alongside landlords in the fight to end homelessness. Two awards will be presented to outstanding landlords that have gone above and beyond in supporting our community. Are you a property owner or manager that is interested in taking on tenants with housing vouchers? Come to this event to ask questions directly to the administrators of supportive programs. This free event is open to the public.  

Contact Alexi at alexi.millard@milwaukeecountywi.gov for more information.


Career Exploration Panel: Jobs in Homeless Services 

Thursday, October 31, 2024
12:00 p.m.-12:45 p.m.

Interested in a career in the homelessness field, but not sure where to start? This virtual panel will feature various homeless system perspectives and job paths. Hear about real aspects of working in the homelessness field and have the opportunity to ask questions from people with different focuses such as social work, administration, and data science. This free event is open to the public.  

Register


Webinar: Overrepresented Identities in Homeless Populations 

Friday, November 1, 2024
12:00 p.m.-12:45 p.m. 

This webinar explores how data is collected and what it shows about overrepresented identities experiencing homelessness both nationally and locally. Hear from a local service provider on how they address the intersection of homelessness and LGBTQ+ identities. This free virtual event is open to the public. 

Register


 

 

Things to Know for Homelessness Awareness Week 2024

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We are organized on the issue

The Milwaukee Coalition on Housing & Homelessness, also known as Milwaukee's Continuum of Care (CoC), is a network of 100+ organizations working to end homelessness in Milwaukee.

The CoC is filled with call reps, street outreach workers, social workers, case managers, shelter and safe haven staff, nurses and doctors, employment specialists, and so on, that work 24/7 and all use a shared database to record the individual case plans and housing plans for every person experiencing homelessness in Milwaukee County. The CoC is led by the City of Milwaukee and all CoC agencies are united to get every person experiencing homelessness back on their feet and into safe and stable housing.

Learn more at: https://www.milwaukeecoc.com

Homelessness rates are decreasing in Milwaukee County

In 2022, Milwaukee County had the lowest street homeless count, per capita, in the nation. Between 2015 and 2021, homelessness decreased by 46.3% in Milwaukee County because of our Housing First programs.

Housing is a human right. The Milwaukee County Housing Services has led the CoC’s Housing First work of securing housing vouchers, working with people in their street outreach work, and making connections with landlords. The following agencies all work together in an effort called “Coordinated Entry” to make sure those with the most significant vulnerabilities are prioritized first for housing as housing vouchers become available: Cathedral Center, Community Advocates, Center for Veterans Issues, the Guest House of Milwaukee, Heartland Alliance, Hope House of Milwaukee, IMPACT Inc., Institute for Community Alliances, La Causa, Milwaukee County Housing Services, Outreach Community Health Centers, Pathfinders, Salvation Army, Sojourner Family Peace Center, Vivent Health, and Walkers Point Youth and Family Services. 

Learn more at Housing First.

We can end homelessness

We are working together to end family homelessness in the Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County region by the end of 2025. 

Since 2020, United Way has committed over $17 million into Safe & Stable Homes initiative strategies that prevent family homelessness whenever possible, and in those situations that can't be prevented, make them rare, brief, and one-time experiences. The Safe & Stable Homes Initiative has led to improvements in the court system (EvictionFreeMKE.org), better support for housing insecure students, supports resource connecton specialists for landlords and tenants (RentHelpMKE.org), and is filling the gap in rent support vouchers for families in shelter. 

Learn more about Safe and Stable Homes.

 

You can join the fight to end homelessness

GIVE ∙ ∙ ∙ Visit the websites above to learn where you might want to make a donation

ADVOCATE ∙ ∙ ∙ Attend Homelessness Awareness Week events to get educated on the issues

VOLUNTEER ∙ ∙ ∙ Click on the Volunteer link on UnitedWayGMWC.org