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Human Services staff outlines limited homelessness resources, cites hotels and probation as barriers
Summary
Carrie Neubauer told the Waushara County Human Services Board the department provides gift cards, referrals, donated sleeping bags and limited hotel placements, but lacks shelters and faces voucher acceptance and probation-related barriers to housing.
Carrie Neubauer, the meeting's homelessness presenter, told the Waushara County Human Services Board the front desk serves as the first contact for most people experiencing homelessness and that the department's practical resources are limited. "I have put together the resources and the stumbling blocks as I see it for who comes in," Neubauer said, listing gift cards from the sheriff's department, referrals to low-income housing lists, occasional Salvation Army vouchers, donated sleeping bags and backpacks, and hookups to FoodShare and Medicaid.
Neubauer said the county has no emergency shelter and that hotels present practical barriers: "We don't have any shelters," she said, and noted several local hotels will not accept vouchers or require credit-card payments. Board members and staff discussed that some people released from jail return to the county and rely on Human Services as their "first step," and described people living in vehicles, sheds and other informal settings. The presentation included an on-the-record estimate that roughly "35-ish" people currently experience homelessness in the county at a point in time, though Neubauer cautioned that number is an estimate based on service contacts.
The board discussed practical connections for residents who encounter unhoused people. Staff recommended directing people to the Human Services front desk for intake and cautioned against making promises about hotel payments because funding for vouchers depends on donations and Salvation Army support. The department also described local partnerships — County Cupboard, CAP Services, churches and other nonprofits — that supply donated clothing, hygiene items and occasional emergency assistance.
Next steps noted at the meeting included inviting participants to the Emergency Housing Committee session on Aug. 3 to hear an outside provider's model, and continuing to explore funding and service coordination to expand options beyond short-term hotel placements.
