When I first came to campus in the fall of 2014, homelessness was something that I identified as a problem right away, and it is has only gotten worse recently. Being homeless can lead to serious health conditions. The National Health Care for the Homeless Council’s June 2011 fact sheet shows that individuals experiencing homelessness have high rates of acute and chronic illness and are more likely to be exposed to communicable diseases, violence and malnutrition. It also states that homeless people are often displaced due to the workplace injuries that disable them from future employment opportunities, and become deprived of qualifying government health services because of their unemployed status.
The rate of homelessness gives us a hint as to how society performs in offering safe workplace practices and public health services to its populations.
According to a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development report, the average homeless population nationwide has decreased from 647,258 in 2007 to 564,708 in 2015. Meanwhile, Wisconsin has observed an upward trend from 5,648 to 6,057 over the same eight-year period, or a 7.2 percent increase. The Wisconsin State Journal published an article June 5 suggesting that the Wisconsin Coalition Against Homelessness remains skeptical of state officials’ commitment to allocating more resources to address the issue of homelessness in the state. The article testifies that the state has not delivered direct funding for such an issue in two decades. While the Wisconsin fund, at $3.3 million, is more than Iowa’s $1 million in direct funding, it is frighteningly less than neighboring Minnesota’s at $44.3 million, and Illinois’ at $49.5 million.
This disparity in funding to combat homelessness between Wisconsin and its neighbors may indicate that the state could be failing to efficiently protect its growing homeless population. This increase in homelessness may be linked to the lack in funding from the state, presenting the idea that more needs to be done to help these people.
Homelessness is a social domino. Anyone, regardless of race, gender, age or occupation can face it. It can prevent children from receiving adequate education, something that can keep them from contributing to society in a positive way. The biggest issue I have with this lack of funding is that homelessness is not just an individual’s issue. It is an issue that can have a negative effect on the population as a whole. The social problems of homelessness often do not present a predictable outcome. Social issues arise from the overall well-being of society, and requiring communal initiatives for battling homelessness is a must if we want to find a solution.
Fortunately, there are active initiatives in Wisconsin to combat homelessness. The Wisconsin Coalition Against Homelessness recently published “A Roadmap to Ending Homeless in Wisconsin,” introducing, summarizing and presenting possible solutions to homelessness in this state. The report recommended that the state increase funding for emergency shelters, create a homelessness prevention program, establish permanent supportive housing plans and broaden already existing social programs to help the most vulnerable populations.
Also, the state government seems to be more engaged in this issue than before. Lieutenant Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch stated, in the same Wisconsin State Journal article, that the state will consider all recommendations from the Wisconsin Coalition Against Homelessness in the broader context of the governor’s budget and upcoming legislative session. The spokesperson for Gov. Scott Walker did not directly mention these recommendations, but remarked that the state is going to try to employ broader welfare reforms to address homelessness. The coalition seeks to increase the funding in the battle against homelessness by $10 million.
We may never know what kind of solutions our state may produce to combat homelessness, but it has acknowledged that homelessness in Wisconsin is a serious issue and cannot be ignored. We all want our society to be a safe place where we can thrive, both as people and students.
Hae Rin is a junior majoring in history. Have you noticed an increse in homelessness recently? What do you think the state should do to battle this issue? Send all comments, questions and concerns to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
