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Homelessness task force to draft 12‑month plan after May presentation; VA schedules veteran outreach surge
Summary
Marathon County task force reported a May 19 presentation that prompted a direction for county and city administrators to co‑develop a 12‑month homelessness plan; the county’s veteran service officer also announced a VA 'surge' outreach event and noted HUD VASH voucher limits in the area.
Ron, a member of the Marathon County Homelessness Task Force, told the Health and Human Services Committee the task force’s May 19 presentation to the full county board and city council was well received and led to a direction for county and city leadership to prepare a joint plan within 12 months.
“The outcome was for Administrator Leonard and the city to work together on developing a plan in the next 12 months, to have that plan ready to present to both the city council and the county board,” Ron said.
Supervisor Conroy summarized demographic data from the task force presentation, saying about three‑quarters of people using the county emergency shelter had chronic health issues, mental‑health or AODA (alcohol and other drug abuse) concerns or disabilities; roughly 25% did not, illustrating that homelessness can affect a broad cross section of residents. Conroy referenced the ALICE report, noting about one‑third of county residents are economically vulnerable and vulnerable to a single adverse event.
Aaron Glindo, Veteran Service Officer, told the committee the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs planned a regional “surge” outreach event for Marathon, Portage and Wood counties to identify veterans who are unhoused and connect them to resources such as HUD‑VASH vouchers, the Center for Veterans Issues and local veteran recovery and housing programs. Glindo said he was notified recently and planned to attend an organizing meeting.
Glindo noted HUD‑VASH vouchers for the area were currently exhausted and that more than 50 veterans were using vouchers where available to subsidize rent. He offered to share contact information from the VA with local providers.
The committee did not take a formal vote on the task force presentation but recorded the direction that Administrator Leonard and city leadership draft a plan within 12 months for joint presentation to the county board and city council. Members opened the item for questions and encouraged ongoing coordination with local veteran and homeless service providers.
