‘We need action’; Building a Welcoming Watertown proposes warming shelter
WATERTOWN — In response to two tragic and avoidable deaths this past winter, several voices from the Building a Welcoming Watertown Organization filled City Hall during Tuesday’s Common Council meeting to advocate for a proposal for public/private partnership to create an Emergency Warming Shelter.
Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin Housing Manager Jeremy Schmidt explained the group’s findings on homelessness and housing insecurity in Watertown.
Information from the CAC disclosed that as of Feb 24, 47 households in Jefferson County, including Watertown, met the federal definitions of homeless:
- 15 households consisting of families with children.
- 31 households consisting of families without children.
- One veteran household living in a vehicle.
In addition, on the night of Jan. 23, the CAC conducted an overnight Point in Time count of those experiencing homelessness. 13 households were identified on that single night either living in a vehicle or on a hotel voucher for an overnight stay.
“I’ve been working at CAC for 11 plus years,” Schmidt said. “I’ve found an individual in a laundromat right in downtown Watertown. I’ve found two people living in vehicles at the Walmart parking lot. I’ve found another veteran sleeping at a ravine near the water in his vehicle. I have done the point count 20 times. And this isn’t a recent problem. This homeless issue has been happening for many years.”
