Bucking national trends, Milwaukee reduced homelessness in 2024 through Housing First policies and supportive services, but local advocates warn high housing costs will likely lead to an increase in the unhoused population in the coming year.
While homelessness rose sharply at the national level in 2024, Milwaukee County saw a decrease in the number of unhoused residents, reports Anna Marie Yanny for Wisconsin Public Radio.
In the 2024 point-in-time count, conducted every year in January, Milwaukee County counted 885 unhoused people, compared to 1,056 in 2023. This is a 16 percent decrease, a stark contrast to the 18 percent nationwide increase. The number of homeless people rose in other Wisconsin cities and counties, Yanny notes.
What makes Milwaukee different? According to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the county’s Housing First approach, coupled with wraparound services, has shown “encouraging results.” The county is also actively working with landlords to encourage them to rent to people who have been homeless through the 2024 “Landlord Incentives to Foster Tenancy” program.
However, local officials are warning that rising rents will likely lead to an increase in homelessness in the next count, scheduled for late January. “Milwaukee area organizers said they need more affordable housing, local investors and a slowed pace of rent increase.”
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