With the hope of addressing the growing homeless population of southwest Madison, a partnership of community organizations received a major grant Wednesday to fund housing issues in the area.
Common Wealth Development, Dane County’s Joining Forces for the Families, Public Health Madison – Dane County and the Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ announced their formation of the Southwest Housing Partnership, which will focus on addressing issues of homelessness in five neighborhoods in the southwest Madison region.
The partnership was made possible as a result of a two-year grant of $130,000 gifted by ORUCC, according to JFF Community Social Worker Mike Bruce. Other members of the partnership worked together and submitted a grant proposal to ORUCC, which chose to move forward with the idea, Bruce said.
“If it weren’t for Orchard Ridge, none of this would happen,” Bruce said. “We were very fortunate to take part in this. [They are going] to put $130,000 toward our proposal, which is a very significant portion to put forth for a relatively small church.”
A main goal of the partnership is to create the paid occupation of a “housing organizer,” according to Bruce. The position will function to mobilize a coalition of service providers, including local businesses, residents and faith-based organizations, to streamline current resources and make them more available to those in need.
The housing organizer will also work with renters, homeowners and other residents within the neighborhoods to engage them in the proposal and establish priorities for the next two years.
“It’s one of the first types of proposals of this kind we’ve come across,” Bruce said. “It seeks to balance community organization and capacity-building with hard pragmatic services, such as housing search assistance and connections to shelters, within a framework of organizations that have been working together for many years.”
Bruce said JFF, PHMDC and ORUCC have successfully coordinated on public works projects in the past.
Casey Slaughter Becker, spokesperson for Dane County Executive Joe Parisi, said the partnership will begin by taking stock of current resources and helping to increase access to those resources that already exist.
“[We hope to] find other ways the partnership can address the homeless in these neighborhoods,” Becker said.
Parisi said in a statement the partnership will also address the root causes of homelessness by identifying obstacles to stable housing options and strategies to combat them.
CWD Executive Director Marianne Morton said the partnership will be housed at the JFF office on Russett Road in Madison, but the housing organizer will be employed through CWD.
Morton also expressed her excitement to be involved with the proposal and said the partnership encompasses more than just the four organizations already engaged in it.
“It’s a very exciting and innovative partnership, and I think certainly it’s not just about partners but coordinating all the resources in the community,” Morton said. “[It’s about] empowering people in the community to get involved and come up with solutions. Overall, the goal is to increase family and community stability in the southwest neighborhoods.”
According to Morton, the two-year partnership will begin in July.
Winton Boyd, ORUCC pastor, said he is enthusiastic about the partnership’s summer commencement.
“As a pastor [at ORUCC], it’s one of the most exciting projects I’ve worked on,” he said.
