Fiscal Note
No fiscal impact.
Title
Recognizing November as Homelessness Awareness Month
Body
WHEREAS, on a single night in January 2024, 737 people in Madison/Dane County were experiencing homelessness in shelters or on the streets; and,
WHEREAS, annually, close to 3,000 people are served in emergency shelters and transitional housing in our community, and many more live in unstable, doubled-up situations or in hotels; and,
WHEREAS, the number of Madisonians affected by homelessness is a significant community issue; and,
WHEREAS, homelessness has a tremendous impact on those who experience it; particularly children and has been shown to inflict higher levels of emotional and behavioral health problems, increase the risk of serious health issues, separate family members from one another, and disrupt school attendance, often leading to lower academic performance; and,
WHEREAS, there are many causes of homelessness, but chief among them are a shortage of available affordable housing, enduring poverty, the growing gap between soaring housing costs and stagnant incomes, health and behavioral health challenges and domestic violence; and,
WHEREAS, people of color are disproportionately represented among those who experience homelessness, largely due to long-standing historical and structural racism reflected in housing segregation, poverty and higher rates of incarceration; and,
WHEREAS, while issues around homelessness are complex and challenging, they are solvable; and,
WHEREAS, we can address those issues not by blaming the people who experience homelessness, but by working to build a response system that is humane, equitable and coordinated, and that is focused on the ultimate solution to homelessness, which is providing stable affordable housing; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Madison collaborates with service providers and people with lived experience of homelessness to evaluate the homeless response system and implement best practices to effectively meet the needs of our community; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Madison invests in all aspects of the homeless response system, including the solution of affordable housing; and,
WHEREAS, the purpose of this resolution is to raise public awareness about the extent and impacts of homelessness in our community, and to call on leaders at the local, state and national levels to rededicate themselves to take the necessary steps to make homelessness a rare, brief and one-time experience for our residents;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Madison Common Council, on behalf of the residents of Madison, Wisconsin, do hereby proclaim November 2024 as Homelessness Awareness Month and pledge to commit this City to work towards its eradication.