In response to the prevalence of homelessness in the Madison community, Porchlight Executive Director Karla
Porchlight is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing housing for homeless people in Dane County. Thennes and one of her clients spoke out about their experience within the program at the Red Gym Tuesday.
Porchlight’s mission statement explains their goal is to “provide shelter, affordable housing and supportive services that eliminate barriers and empower the individuals and families we serve.”
In order to keep an accurate track of homelessness in the Madison community, staff members and volunteers count the number of homeless people in Dane County once a year. This census is conducted in January, a month where it becomes increasingly difficult to be homeless during the brutal cold.
“We go out at 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. on the streets, in the shelters, literally counting people,” Thennes said.
Conducted from 2010 to 2018, their research found homelessness in Dane County peaked in 2015, totaling 808 single men and women in shelters and on the streets. However, the number dropped 24 percent in 2018, totaling a significant decrease of 614 homeless people.
Thennes discussed a two-fold priority list program initiated by Porchlight in order to prioritize severe homelessness. The lists focus on both the level of vulnerability of the person and the length of time with which that person has been homeless.
“The coordinated entry priority list is a process developed to ensure that all people experiencing housing crises have fair and equal access and are quickly identified,” Thennes explained. “The goal is getting those with the most needs and those who have been homeless the longest at the top of the list.”
