[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6477385,"mediaKeyId","5711675-62d26659bd69e4f41c9f50c9bb72ba16","parentId",5711675,"title","Advocates warn Kenosha County of rising unsheltered population and call for expanded winter sheltering","audioSeconds",176,"startMs",312000,"endMs",488000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711675-62d26659bd69e4f41c9f50c9bb72ba16&start=312&end=488","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711675-62d26659bd69e4f41c9f50c9bb72ba16/thumbnail_312000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6477385/Kenosha-County/Wisconsin/Advocates-warn-Kenosha-County-of-rising-unsheltered-population-and-call-for-expanded-winter-sheltering","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477385-4780f7adb4d1b380148fbeba979e2c17/orig.mp4?Expires=1770431507&Signature=S2EVq4JHO-Sx2WZAjTSJNG0Hs-R7BxPC2OsP6nsDE7Bl2UQq0pIgfIFDiILzP01aPsY6kKBp~1z025E-FmqEcYAz9FJ9B-Xwfldm8Ufkn5PU6Ua13BZ42aCvihVfMQWExpU6Sn6D2KP6ZrCqEWMHpbdf~ixFBaCpyNz2J2-eHasL7qjdW~3wc02PgF91ryFh297NQuIJ-OPY5lRJoP34yv7jXEG3cL6oHwI-TeVToGavgT0aVhHcyERL4s1IbcFGEj5MsXvxTq01KUjsKunlN5RJhi4CwUgWWVh9t1vcOjtOwYOp05DauG6m7H~RhwxemiVZgeir8F7Iqm4ja3cjIQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Kenosha County, WI","date","2025-09-03T02:25:07.133Z","article","Marita Huff spoke during the Human Services Committee public-comment period to describe rising unsheltered homelessness in Kenosha County and urged county action ahead of winter.

\"We found at least 60 people outside, at the point in time count, and these are not people that choose to be outside... These are people that can't find a place to live,\" Huff said on the record. She described individual cases, including a group of three people living on a picnic table behind a church and one woman with limited mobility who cannot reliably access restroom facilities.

Huff said apartment rents have risen sharply in some cases and that a local warming shelter (identified in the record as run by a local center) is currently open only three days a week because of cuts to federal funding. She said groups called Supporters of Shelter are trying to identify options and urged county coordination with providers; she noted county staff and officials would be kept informed.

Committee members acknowledged the comments during the citizen-comments period; no committee action was taken during the meeting. Huff urged the county to consider winter planning for the unsheltered population and to work with providers to increase shelter availability and referrals to services.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Human Services Committee Meeting, September 2, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A local organizer reported at least 60 people sleeping outdoors in recent counts and urged the county to plan for expanded winter sheltering as current warming-shelter hours are limited by funding cuts.","taxTitle","Kenosha County, Wisconsin","taxId",2739,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6477389,"Resident urges half-cent sales tax for countywide transit and raises paratransit concerns",247,39000,286000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711675-62d26659bd69e4f41c9f50c9bb72ba16&start=39&end=286","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711675-62d26659bd69e4f41c9f50c9bb72ba16/thumbnail_39000.jpg","/articles/6477389/Kenosha-County/Wisconsin/Resident-urges-half-cent-sales-tax-for-countywide-transit-and-raises-paratransit-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477389-8a9d8c6fe4addf0dd37208d119035f1c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770431507&Signature=ml6y4zuIF1GcdNaFfMuz0Ypw366wnTWVakE0yLZrmWziY4dB-MiaHIQ3~yBeRcQxte26FbrgWZJhg-Ix1kPq5dHouokkqWumZoetc3~tzPz1T0uloB12oRMYdu2QbVtX1lZ0pACR~HBF2tajrDK8UGM0J3OWqT4kWXV~JwL~k-OeiHLaMSWtLb8CluxC0v~SNi0X3w0UK60pplW9SSuG97fUkDfqwfz~xHntLiU~Ey4P-OOI0TcXLQhCuqiS5JTB~EUoViFKNNoKCSQ2y9u2c55PfyvlO3rkIxWahMFqt9h-k47WILquBksAzh~dqFMdyCn3P1SV6j4QnGWdT7TiDQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Raymond Cameron, a Kenosha County resident, used the Human Services Committee public-comment period to urge officials to consider a half-cent county sales tax to fund public transit and paratransit services.

Cameron said he previously served as a transit commissioner and described how a regional planning agency has warned that transit agencies need additional revenue sources. \"So that was pretty much my reason and intent is to advocate for this half cent sales tax because I think for transit county wide, we don't think it would really, benefit this whole town and city and the various, you know, municipalities or town and the needs, in this county,\" he said on the record.

He said a local provider had notified the city and county it would stop providing paratransit service, prompting short-term funding decisions by city staff to hire part-time drivers through Dec. 31. Cameron said the county should plan for longer-term funding so seniors, people with disabilities and low-income residents can access work and education without owning a vehicle.

Cameron also referenced regional discussion about a rail extension and said Racine had decided to participate with Kenosha and Milwaukee in pursuing the extension. He urged officials to consider sales-tax revenue as a means to shore up transit funding countywide.

The remarks were made during the committee's citizen-comment period and did not prompt committee action at that meeting.","A Kenosha County resident called during public comment for a half-cent sales tax to fund regional transit and to sustain paratransit services after a local provider announced service termination; he cited regional planning commission warnings about transit funding.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6477394,"Kenosha County veteran services outlines outreach push, benefit totals and events",1273,1207000,2480000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711675-62d26659bd69e4f41c9f50c9bb72ba16&start=1207&end=2480","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711675-62d26659bd69e4f41c9f50c9bb72ba16/thumbnail_1207000.jpg","/articles/6477394/Kenosha-County/Wisconsin/Kenosha-County-veteran-services-outlines-outreach-push-benefit-totals-and-events","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477394-58dcaab3e0b2c1bfb6221da292afa36b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770431507&Signature=cvhCepN9Sld6Da74jv5rd-0BjXLIooLknoGi8v0vNCZU0aPGhEoy3Sx132sb8q~iKNNDCOuyKrGm8sYPvNjbxnMxBTIMl8qfxEO0iBTO~1CDUEoY9CPJ1kYQWcF49Xe5n2UZFvNoppnxCvDz6ejk2ddzBjlumrrWVnfqFOnTarz-RrmeAUVYDXqYflHIIC31qRPfYytW7nW-pySkmcphtd10Z6iy0nS1DPPQST6u0CEN2c-dig6z-GJUXvzfmBGzO~igAobr5t9GybpCgN2-N-FT0Ow03XacOlz3R2h5TvwMgOlAgmxylfb40COOJgQwDPVR1O1IN2n~SIykLfz9Tw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Shauna Fobazi, county veteran services officer and director of veteran services for Kenosha County, gave an overview of outreach efforts, partnerships and benefits delivery at the Human Services Committee meeting.

\"I am the county veteran services service officer, the director of veteran services for Kenosha County,\" Fobazi said. She said the division currently has five staff members and one vacancy and that staff are working to build a direct-referral system with nursing homes, assisted-living and in-home care providers so facilities can refer veterans who may qualify for VA benefits.

Fobazi described multiple outreach goals: direct referrals from care facilities, presentations at colleges and to employers, partnership work with emergency providers and the VA case coalition, and ongoing involvement with veterans treatment court (a program run regionally with Racine). She said staff also plan targeted outreach to large local employers to reach veterans who enter the civilian workforce without engaging college services.

On benefit totals, Fobazi said, \"over $123,000,000 was was received by Kenosha County veterans.\" The meeting record shows the speaker provided a breakdown for compensation, pension and health care, but the transcripted figures were unclear in places; the committee packet or the county's final fiscal report should be consulted for precise accounting.

Fobazi and staff described the county's active events calendar: a veterans picnic at Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park (the first Friday after Memorial Day), a Boundless Adventures event on Sept. 19 aimed at younger veterans and families, and a Veterans Celebration resource fair and breakfast on the Saturday before Veterans Day.

The division reported increased outreach contact this year and said it had reached about 1,000 people via events and partner contact. Staff noted that phone calls were down compared with prior years, which they interpret as outreach improving awareness and reducing inbound call volume. An assistant presented a dashboard showing outreach and client categories; staff said they are refining measures such as baseline data, new-client and returning-client counts to evaluate program impact.

Supervisors suggested partnering with interfaith organizations, churches and community groups to distribute printed materials and referrals; staff said they have participated in interfaith resource events and will consider additional faith-based distribution. Supervisors also asked about outreach to the unsheltered population; staff said county and partner providers identify veterans during point-in-time counts and connect eligible veterans to housing and VA assistance (including HUD-VASH where appropriate). Staff said the county has a small discretionary veterans fund used occasionally to place veterans in temporary hotel housing while benefits and placements are arranged.

Fobazi invited the committee to consult the dashboard and follow the division's outreach work; she closed by noting the staff's continuing focus on helping veterans apply for disability compensation and other benefits.","The county's veteran services director reported staff capacity, outreach plans with nursing homes and employers, a dashboard summary showing increased outreach, and listed annual veteran events.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6477397,"Kenosha County committee approves one-year grant to embed social worker with Pleasant Prairie police",559,631000,1190000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711675-62d26659bd69e4f41c9f50c9bb72ba16&start=631&end=1190","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711675-62d26659bd69e4f41c9f50c9bb72ba16/thumbnail_631000.jpg","/articles/6477397/Kenosha-County/Wisconsin/Kenosha-County-committee-approves-one-year-grant-to-embed-social-worker-with-Pleasant-Prairie-police","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477397-07c508d348ea50271bab8b21c453982e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770431507&Signature=ZSKNGVt5KlKVp0froGAg~HYZUBODlVVpo8ajLa4pD9priYn---D~L9GniOzViHamnE5lwOiApt2NafexpFBexAVvAoa2vLjI2vloJrFGkIeTNKzEkgimrbgk9jNKJL--xtc-BQaG8ds0s6SCYjgN6ucFn~NQf7~kPJ2nNbu6qf-YNdmukv-FsW~H4jYM7WcaeGTnu3-wmsc4MaIdPyyYhnH-tWcON4YmGbSzJ6thVTegy9a3sjQZOnnha6wnL3IYHQo7k4LFak3Z2KQzSQd3hudAeYDqzkWA87T7GJW5IcCbxCfgEjHYOfcHtwo1tnvz7TFzxqZsvXdUbAsnILef6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kenosha County's Human Services Committee voted to accept a one-year state crisis intervention grant to fund an embedded social worker who will work with the Pleasant Prairie Police Department.

The grant award is $75,000, and Pleasant Prairie officials pledged $34,794 in local support, county staff said during the Sept. committee meeting. Carrie, identified in the record as director of behavioral health services, described the project as a one-year pilot to \"enhance suicide screening and identification methods,\" improve linkage to behavioral-health services and reduce suicide risk in the village.

The pilot will train officers and the embedded worker to use standardized screening tools including the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Staff also said the program will use Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) screening and will provide safety equipment such as medication lockboxes and gun locks to support safety plans during assessments.

\"The grant is for 1 year, so we're gonna be using that as a pilot,\" Carrie said in the meeting record.

Supervisors asked how the project would be funded after the grant year. Carrie said the county typically provides embedded crisis or social workers to municipalities in Wisconsin because the county can provide clinical supervision, electronic health records and the larger infrastructure needed for medical records and clinical oversight. She also said staff will track cost savings and other measures during the year to evaluate sustainability.

Supervisor Regan asked whether Pleasant Prairie's $34,794 contribution was coming from the village budget; Carrie replied that the village contribution was on its own budget. Supervisor Curley and others suggested pursuing Medicaid revenue, municipal contributions or other funding streams if the pilot demonstrates success. The county also noted the project aligns with allowable expenses in opioid-settlement fund Exhibit E for co-response with law enforcement, per a supervisor comment during the meeting.

The committee approved the resolution by motion (first by Supervisor Brown, second by Supervisor Robinson) and recorded that the resolution passed on the committee vote. No roll-call tally was included in the meeting record provided.

The county said it will collect baseline and outcome data defined in the grant (SMART goals under the DHS grant requirements) to measure whether the pilot reduces risk and improves linkage to care. Officials said they would consult with other Wisconsin municipalities that operate similar county-municipal arrangements during implementation.

The resolution modifies the Division of Behavioral Health Services budget to accept the state crisis intervention program grant and to fund the embedded social worker assignment to Pleasant Prairie Police as a pilot.

Committee discussion and the vote occurred during the Sept. Human Services Committee meeting; staff said the one-year pilot will serve as the basis for evaluating longer-term funding and expansion.","The Human Services Committee approved a one-year state crisis-intervention grant to place an embedded social worker with the Pleasant Prairie Police Department. The pilot will use standardized suicide screens, link people to behavioral-health services and distribute safety equipment; the village agreed to a local match.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Advocates warn Kenosha County of rising unsheltered population and call for expanded winter sheltering

Resident urges half-cent sales tax for countywide transit and raises paratransit concerns

Kenosha County veteran services outlines outreach push, benefit totals and events

Kenosha County committee approves one-year grant to embed social worker with Pleasant Prairie police