Federal funding delays bring uncertainty to Brown County homeless service providers

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28-04-2025

The future of Brown County's housing services is unclear as the fate of federal grants haven't been determined for several providers of temporary and permanent housing options.
Brown County's homeless population is surging as evidenced by the area's point-in-time count in January, which hit 643, the highest recorded number since the count has been used.
The annual point-in-time event counts the number of people who are experiencing homelessness during one night in emergency shelters, transitional housing, unsheltered and domestic violence service providers, though it historically undercounts the real number of people facing homelessness.
The numbers are reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A large number of housing programs in the area are supported by grants through HUD's Continuum of Care program, which works to reduce homelessness around the country. Continuum of Care awards funds directly to Wisconsin providers or goes through four statewide agencies to distribute the money. Those agencies are based in Milwaukee, Dane and Racine counties, and the fourth agency is the Balance of State — which serves the state's other 69 counties including Brown County.
Balance of State then distributes money to different homeless service providers around the state. In Brown County, Golden House, Newcap, Wise Women Gathering Place, and House of Hope receive funds to support different permanent and temporary housing programs and referral services in the area.
Providers in Brown County currently get over $3.4 million in grants through the CoC program, whether they are awarded directly to the organization or distributed through the Balance of State, according to HUD data provided to the Press-Gazette.
Most of the grants have one- to two-year cycles and expire later this summer or fall. The earliest grant contract will be up by July 1. As of April 22, Carrie Poser, the executive director of the Balance of State program, said there hasn't been any word from HUD on whether the grants will be renewed or provided guidance on next steps.
"We're getting into that uncomfortable space where we usually know by now," Poser said. "This is a little scarier."
Some of the grants awarded last year have not been executed either, Poser said. The funding delays come after HUD staff was cut by half in February and HUD headquarters in Washington, D.C., was put up for sale, according to an NPR report.
Without the promise of grant contracts, some service providers are worried they will be canceled altogether instead of renewed.
In the Green Bay area, most of the CoC grants are for permanent supporting housing and rapid rehousing.
Newcap gets about $1.08 million to support permanent housing this year.
Newcap and House of Hope receive over $954,000 for rapid rehousing.
Golden House gets a $732,000 rapid rehousing grant specifically to support victims of domestic violence through the Balance of State. Wise Women Gathering Place also gets the same grant for $257,000.
House of Hope gets funding for its drop-in center and youth support services of $300,000. It also receives over $46,000 through Balance of State to refer youth, families, and domestic violence survivors to housing resources in the area.
The delay in grant renewals is making it more difficult to plan services for people in crisis, said Meika Burnikel, the executive director of Golden House.
Golden House's rapid rehousing grant helps survivors of domestic violence get reestablished with rental assistance and case management while Golden House provides other support services and counseling.
The uncertainty of that CoC funding compounds for victim service providers, like Golden House, which are also feeling the added impacts of staffing and funding cuts at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The leader of the Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services was placed on administrative leave and staff members who work on sexual violence prevention were removed.
Burnikel said Golden House also faced around a $600,000 reduction in funding from the federal Victims of Crime Act, which is distributed to victim service providers through state crime victim offices and was cut last year.
"There's a lot of different pieces of the puzzle right now," Burnikel said. "It's about continuity of care. We're making sure the apartments they're residing in are safe especially against their abuser so they can focus on their kids, their mental health and focus on getting a job and are safe all around."
The grant supports 25 to 30 survivors in a year and three full-time positions at Golden House. Burnikel said more losses in federal funds like the Balance of State money would be detrimental.
"Ultimately, that could mean that we would serve less victims and we would serve less survivors," she said.
House of Hope is more hopeful about the future of their grants. Shannon Wienandt, the executive director of House of Hope, said she talked to HUD's field office April 18 and was told that the rapid rehousing grant would be renewed. She hasn't heard about grants for their youth system navigator and drop-in center service yet.
"I'm trying to remain optimistic because we deal with crises every day, and this seems like another crisis we can't control," Wienandt said.
Several providers are also concerned that grants would be renewed but will require new terms or guidelines to comply with the contracts. Wienandt noted the way information has rolled out from HUD for housing providers has been confusing in recent months with some "abrupt stops" for some as they learn to comply with the new rules.
Since most of the money goes toward rent, case managers, and referral programs, a surge in homelessness will only grow if funding is delayed or terminated.
During this year's State of Homelessness address in Brown County on April 10, Poser said it would take 159 more permanent supporting housing options, 292 rapid rehousing with intensive case management to address substance use and behavioral health challenges, and 129 rapid rehousing to end homelessness.
"The crisis we are going to see is going to be so much worse," Poser said.
Poser noted that some of the money will dry up over the summer as St. John's Ministries' shelter nears its off-season and the point-in-time count in summer typically rises. The emergency shelter's season runs November from April, though the shelter continues to provide drop-in and daytime hours in summer months.
In the 2025-27 budget, Gov. Tony Evers proposed $24 million for homeless prevention programs including grants for housing assistance programs, small landlords, shelter improvements, and case management, around the state. But Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said that Evers' proposals in the budget are dead on arrival, and will be axed during the Wisconsin Legislature's budget process.
Golden House has turned to the community to fill some of the gaps in federal funding, Burnikel said. It is hosting several fundraisers throughout the year with options to donate or sponsor the organization, including a new "Taste of Hope" event on Aug. 16 and the annual Show of Strength event in October. More information can be found at Golden House's website.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233.
End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin has a statewide directory of resources at endabusewi.org/get-help.
We All Rise in Green Bay offers 24-hour crisis supportive services through its hotline. Call or text 920-600-4313.
Golden House, in Green Bay, has a 24-hour helpline at 920-432-4244. If you need help finding safety, call the Be Safe hotline, 920-212-SAFE (7233).
More: Homelessness is on the rise in Brown County. Here's what to know about the latest numbers
Contact Benita Mathew at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Brown County homeless service providers face funding delays, uncertainty