MONROE - Homeless families in Green County are forced to remain homeless, due to a dearth of affordable housing, according to the director of Family Promise of Green County.
Homelessness in the county remains a problem in 2016, said Family Promise director Rick Gleason. Within the first five months of the year, Family Promise has received more than 50 contacts from individuals and families seeking assistance.
Although Gleason said the number of cases is comparable to the amount from last year, some families are homeless even though they "don't necessarily need to be homeless."
Even though some people have found stable employment and could afford rent at low-income housing, the lack of available housing has forced several families to remain homeless.
"With the number of people looking for housing, it's tough," Gleason said.
Finding a one-bedroom apartment can be a challenge by itself, Gleason said, and finding a two- or three-bedroom home for a family can be a nearly impossible task.
Compounding the problem is the tendency of homeless people to not have reliable transportation.
"Even though someone in New Glarus has seven apartments they're looking to fill, even though it's just 12 miles away, they have no way of getting there," Gleason said.
Even systems such as the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, which issues vouchers to tenants to lease housing, are useless if there are more vouchers in circulation than there are available units, Gleason said.
"We can be creative in a lot of ways, but we can't give people a home if there isn't one available," Gleason said.
Last year, Family Promise of Green County dealt with 101 cases of homelessness, which was consistent with the national average, Gleason said. Of those 101 cases, 41 involved families, while 57 of them involved children, 30 of which were age 5 or younger.
Gleason said this time of year often sees an increase in homelessness, as people who took out loans in anticipation of filing their taxes find themselves unable to repay them and are evicted.
Low income and debt are common catalysts for losing a home, Gleason said, but drug, alcohol and domestic abuse are the most common precipitants.
However, Gleason said Family Promise and the Green County Council on Housing and Homelessness Prevention are addressing the problem. Although he is unsure what form the solution will take, he mentioned a possible incentive program for contractors to build housing projects in the county.
Gleason said he also hopes to make connections with county landlords in order to find ways to better address the issue.
"It's just going to take a while," Gleason said. "None of these things can happen quickly."
Homelessness in the county remains a problem in 2016, said Family Promise director Rick Gleason. Within the first five months of the year, Family Promise has received more than 50 contacts from individuals and families seeking assistance.
Although Gleason said the number of cases is comparable to the amount from last year, some families are homeless even though they "don't necessarily need to be homeless."
Even though some people have found stable employment and could afford rent at low-income housing, the lack of available housing has forced several families to remain homeless.
"With the number of people looking for housing, it's tough," Gleason said.
Finding a one-bedroom apartment can be a challenge by itself, Gleason said, and finding a two- or three-bedroom home for a family can be a nearly impossible task.
Compounding the problem is the tendency of homeless people to not have reliable transportation.
"Even though someone in New Glarus has seven apartments they're looking to fill, even though it's just 12 miles away, they have no way of getting there," Gleason said.
Even systems such as the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, which issues vouchers to tenants to lease housing, are useless if there are more vouchers in circulation than there are available units, Gleason said.
"We can be creative in a lot of ways, but we can't give people a home if there isn't one available," Gleason said.
Last year, Family Promise of Green County dealt with 101 cases of homelessness, which was consistent with the national average, Gleason said. Of those 101 cases, 41 involved families, while 57 of them involved children, 30 of which were age 5 or younger.
Gleason said this time of year often sees an increase in homelessness, as people who took out loans in anticipation of filing their taxes find themselves unable to repay them and are evicted.
Low income and debt are common catalysts for losing a home, Gleason said, but drug, alcohol and domestic abuse are the most common precipitants.
However, Gleason said Family Promise and the Green County Council on Housing and Homelessness Prevention are addressing the problem. Although he is unsure what form the solution will take, he mentioned a possible incentive program for contractors to build housing projects in the county.
Gleason said he also hopes to make connections with county landlords in order to find ways to better address the issue.
"It's just going to take a while," Gleason said. "None of these things can happen quickly."