Lack of funding in state budget will shutter two facilities for homeless veterans

Yahoo

3 days ago

MADISON - Two of Wisconsin's veterans homes will shutter this fall, after the Legislature failed to include funding for them in the budget signed earlier this month.
The facilities in Chippewa Falls and Green Bay will close by Sept. 20, according to a July 14 news release from Gov. Tony Evers. The third facility, located in Union Grove, will remain open.
Evers blasted the Republican-led Legislature for not providing additional funding to the Veterans Housing and Recovery Program, which offers temporary housing, training and other support services to veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
'We make a promise to our veterans that when they return home to their civilian life, we will support and serve them just as they have supported and served us. Our veterans should not have to worry about being able to afford to keep a roof over their heads. Period,' Evers said.
"The bottom line is that there will now be fewer options for homeless veterans as a result of the Legislature's irresponsible decision to reject the investments that I proposed."
Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary James Bond also decried the lack of funding.
'We have a duty to support veterans, especially in their darkest times,' he said in the release. 'Even with these closures, we remain committed to assisting veterans and connecting them to resources. VHRP has been integral in helping veterans find stability and succeed in their communities, and along with our partners on the ground, we intend to still carry out that mission to the best of our ability.'
Applications for Chippewa Falls and Green Bay will stop being reviewed after July 14, according to the release. Those living at the facilities in Chippewa Falls and Green Bay will be offered alternative placement options and will continue to receive assistance through other services.
Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, and Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, the co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee of the Legislature, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the closure of the homes.
Evers included $1.9 million for the Veteran Housing and Recovery Program in his proposed budget this year, which was cut by Republicans as they put together their version of the budget.
The final budget, which Evers signed into law at 1:30 a.m. on July 3, featured some compromise between Democrats and Republicans on items such as University of Wisconsin funding and tax cuts, but on other issues there was no agreement.
According to a report by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau earlier this year, Wisconsin has 351 or more homeless veterans, according to point-in-time counts conducted across the state. The populations at the different homes vary depending on the season, the report says, with the average occupancy taking up about 70% of the beds in the state.
The report said uncertainty of federal funding and rising cost of staffing the facilities could result in at least one location closing.
Laura Schulte can be reached at [e-mail] and on X @SchulteLaura.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin facilities for homeless veterans to close over lack of funds