As temperatures continue to decrease, societal needs for the homeless can become a major issue for city workers. With four different shelters throughout the city, the Salvation Army works to address this problem by providing families who have recently lost their homes a place to stay.

Lieutenant Mary Schauf of the Madison Police Department witnesses people in need throughout the year. The biggest concern, she says, is the need to connect people with social services.

“Our shelters do a good job of this,” she said.

Dane County Coordinator for the Salvation Army Shelters, Major Paul Moore, describes the time of year as being the biggest factor for how many people seek shelter, rather than the harshness of the weather. He says the highest demand for shelter is during the summer months because families work harder to avoid the harsh weather conditions in the winter.

There is also a shift in the amount of people in the city depending on the time of year. Schauf explained this could also affect the amount of people seeking help.

“[There are] transient people that cycle through,” he said.

Another location, the Salvation Army, offers shelters in the Madison area for families in need. Individual families receive private rooms for 30-day periods after completing the necessary paper work. Amenities include three meals a day, as well as a case manager for every family, who provides counseling. Counselors help each family set up alternative housing once their time limit is up at the shelter.

Every family that uses the shelter’s facilities has to sign a document stating that they agree not to break any of the shelter’s rules. These rules include everything from keeping the noise down and not bringing in weapons, to keeping alcohol outside of the facility. Breaking these rules results in the eviction of the family. If evicted from the shelter, it becomes nearly impossible to re-enter.

“Once they’re out, they have to go through certain procedures to come back in,” Moore said.

These procedures can include additional and lengthy paper work. If the reason for eviction involves physical violence, the consequences become non-negotiable.

“We will not shelter them at that point,” Moore said, adding he such considers violations to be a serious breach of the agreement they sign when first entering the shelter.

Homelessness, according to Schauf, is a problem with no easy answers, but she said homeless shelters can nonetheless provide those with out homes some comfort.

“[Shelters] do a remarkable job with not a lot of resources,” she said. “A city of any size has to deal with issues regarding homelessness. [It’s] a huge social problem.”

With more people seeking assistance in the Madison area, shelters sometimes face problems of over-crowding.

“In all cases, we don’t want to take more people than we can physically handle,” Moore said.

The Salvation Army receives donations from Dane County, the United Way and from private donors in order to make their budget.

Moore feels the most beneficial thing shelters can offer people is a place to escape the sometimes unbearable weather. He did point out, however, places like the Salvation Army are in place to assist people, not solve their problems.

“[They] have to do that for themselves,” Moore said.