That’s right, our homeless services system and housing for houseless individuals and families serves a very, very, very small portion of unhoused persons.
Because of the large numbers of people facing houselessness, we can only get a small fraction of unhoused people into housing built for unhoused people. Some of us have seen this data for a year or two now, but I was reminded of it yesterday at the Homeless Services Consortium General Membership meeting.
For singles, we enroll an average of 163 people in the Rapid Rehousing Program each year (2 year program to help pay rent), and and average of 109 people in the Permanent Supportive Housing program where people pay $0 to 30% of their income for rent. That blip in 2022 was COVID funds – funny thing happens when we have resources to house people – they get housed!
For families we serve 116 families (may more individuals if you count all family members) in the Rapid Rehousing program and 24 in the Permanent Supportive Housing program.
Notice COVID dollars helped here too, but now we are starting to be less effective.
What is surprising is this number.
So, when people get into the programs, they get into housing quicker than I thought, the rest is a waiting game if you can’t afford Dane County rents.
So, no surprises here, but we need more resources – not the drastic cuts we are facing.
In case you are wondering what the overall numbers are . . . its not pretty! Over 1,000 singles and 113 families and both numbers are on the rise.
And in case you don’t want to do the math. 7% of 1044 is 73 people per year that would get housed and 970 who don’t. On the family side 17% of 113 is 19 families getting into housing and 94 who don’t. Luckily, there are programs outside of the homeless services system where people get into housing, affordable housing, Section 8 and other programs. But still, the problem, especially on the singles side is daunting!
No wonder a new poll from the National Alliance to End Homelessness and Morning Consult shows a stong public concern over homelessness and housing affordability. 72% of adults agree that their community would face less homelessness if there were more affordable housing options and 58% say their community hasn’t invested nearly enough to meet the need.
We have work to do folks! The federal government isn’t going to solve this for us!