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FP FIVE: SECTION 8 WAITLIST
- Joe Nettesheim
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
April 5, 2025
The Family Promise Five is a weekly newsletter whose purpose is to update, inform, and advocate for families who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
The mission of Family Promise of Waukesha County is to help low-income families and families experiencing homelessness achieve sustainable independence through a community-based response.
In this edition, you will find these stories:
This week our poll is a brief survey about the FP Five. Your feedback is appreciated.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Journalist Brian Goldstone wrote a book titled: There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America. In this book he follows the lives of five families who are emp;loyed and are still experiencing homelessness.
Family Promise national posted a few quotes from the book on Linked-In. They are both thought provoking and sometimes indicting of the current housing situation. Make the post full screen and then click on the arrow to advance the slides.
01. WELCOME JULIE
Julie Bice joins our team as Director of Outreach and Fund Development
Staff
The newest member of our team, Julie Bice joined our team in early March as the Director of Outreach and Fund Development. Julie recently moved to Milwaukee from Indianapolis. Julie’s responsibilities will include:
Meeting with individual supporters
Developing and fostering partnerships with groups and businesses
Recruiting volunteers
Writing grants
Event planning
Supporting our marketing and communication efforts
Julie comes to Family Promise with over a decade of fundraising and outreach experience. Prior to Family Promise of Waukesha County she served as the the Director of Development at Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis.
Please welcome Julie to Family Promise of Waukesha County. Her contact information is:
Phone: 262-968-2321 ext.108
SMS: 262-289-4156
Since early 2025 we have hired six new staff members. We are excited about our new team and their potential to provide compassionate and trauma informed care for families experiencing homelessness. On-boarding is an important part of building our team. In March we took a few days for orientation and in-service. The focus of these days was on understanding our mission, values, programs, policies, and procedures. Sessions during the in-service were:
Providing Trauma Informed Care
Understanding the role of the board of trustees
Family Promise resources
Local Resources
Prevention
Shelter Diversion
Fair Housing
Team Building
We are excited about the passion, commitment and expertise our team brings to serving vulnerable families. We will continue to grow as a team and as professionals.
02. WAITLIST
Section 8 Waitlist indicator of the need for affordable housing
community
We often speak about the need for affordable housing. One way to gauge the depth of the need is to review the demand for Section 8 Housing Vouchers. These vouchers are funded by Housing and Urban Development and puts a cap on what the tenant pays at 30% of their income. The landlord receives their full rental amount as the remainder is paid by HUD funding.
This percentage is used because it when one pays more than 30% of their income for housing it is not a stable financial situation. A study done by the Wisconsin Policy Forum found that 44% of renters in Waukesha County were cost burdened. In There is No Place For Us, Goldstone writes , "... that currently 11.4 million low-income households are classified as severely cost burdened, spending on average 78% of their earnings on rent alone." These statistics highlight why a vouchers could be an important tool to to provide affordable housing.
At a recent meeting of the Waukesha County Service Providers the Waukesha Housing Authority, who manages the Section 8 vouchers, shared that for a limited time they were accepting applications for the Section 8 voucher wait list. Then they shared that the current wait list is at 9,000 households. Plus their funding is already allocated so they are unable to take anyone else off the list.
Here are details about those on the waitlist:
9,000 households are on the waitlist.
2,305 reside in Waukesha. These households currently have housing in Waukesha, want to remain in Waukesha but are seeking for financial support.
993 of the 2,305 households are families with minor children.
This last bullet indicates that at least 993 families in Waukesha County are seeking assistance to maintain their housing. Since they are on the waitlist, it is likely that these are the families who might apply for rent assistance or end up going through an eviction and losing their home. This is only one indicator but it does provide insight into the depth and breadth of the housing crisis for families in Waukesha County.
03. BE A HAND WILLING TO HELP
Family Promise sets goal of $125,000 for Giving Day on April 22.
Fund Development
You can Be a Hand Willing to Help vulnerable families on Family Promise Giving Day on Tuesday, April 22. Your financial support will prevent families from losing their homes, provide shelter to those experiencing homelessness and help families to secure stable housing .
Our goal is to raise $125K in one day. We are grateful to the sponsors of the Community Challenge Fund who have already committed $61,500 or 49% of our goal.
Each year we help about a third of those who request help. Our ability to serve is directly proportional to the resources available. You can lift a family out of homelessness with a generous gift toward this goal.
Your support will help a family like Sapphire and Antwan who participated in the Apartment Shelter Program last fall. They now have their own home.
You can provide a gift online starting April 22 using Giving Day link or
Mail a check to
Family Promise of Waukesha County
PO Box 66
Waukesha, WI 53187
Or venmo @family-promise-waukesha
POLL OF THE WEEK
04. APARTMENT SHELTER IN FOCUS
Unique model of shelter changing lives
Program/Mission
The Apartment Shelter Program is not a traditional shelter. Instead this unique model of shelter provides families with minor children a single family apartment for up to 90 days. This model of shelter is like home and gives families a sense of normalcy. The shelter program allows families to establish a routine, gives them responsibility and elevates human dignity. Families feel safe and secure plus children do not have the stigma associated with experiencing homelessness. We currently lease five apartments in Waukesha and added a sixth in Oconomowoc.
Often families will tell us that the trauma and shock of losing one’s home creates a fog that prevents families from functioning well. There are feelings of shame, failure and uncertainty about the future. Shelter can give families a chance to take a breath and regroup. Then they can begin the process of seeking permanent housing.
O5. BOARD PROFILE
Welcome Jennifer Veum to the Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees of Family Promise of Waukesha County is a group of volunteers who give of their time to set the vision, mission and provide accountability for the organization. A strong board is an essential part of the ability of any non-profit to function effectively. We are grateful for the dedication and service provided by the Family Promise of Waukesha County Board of Trustees.
Recently, five new volunteers joined the Board of Trustees. They are: Dan Budde, Robert McCormack, Monica Murphy, Jen Veum, and Julie Wiech. Over the next few weeks we will profile each new member.
Today we focus on Jennifer Veum. Jennifer's passion to help families experiencing homelessness stems from her lengthy background serving and working in church ministry. Most recently, she served as Women’s Ministry Leader at Thirst Church in Oconomowoc.
You can read more about Jennifer on our Board of Trustees webpage.
FIVE PLUS
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH
April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. Thank you to all volunteers who make meals, provide transportation, clean apartments, help with child care, provide a seminar, serve on a committee, or the board of trustees, plan golf outings You are amazing and we love you! Thank you for supporting families experiencing homelessness!
SPONSOR THE GOLF OUTING - JULY 21
The Family Promise of Waukesha County Golf Outing will be Monday, July 21 at the Oconomowoc Golf Club. Our theme for 2025 is Raise Your Hand; Lift Their Future. We are now accepting sponsors for the outing. You can sponsor the golf tournament or the outing.
Our foundational value has long been community involvement. Your participation in the golf outing can have a generational impact. Click to learn more about Golf Outing Sponsorships
Exciting news, this year, we’re a beneficiary at the 5th Annual VJS Construction Services Community Foundation 5K! Join us on Saturday, May 3rd, 2025, at 8 a.m. at this fun 5K run/walk starting in the VJS parking lot and circling the Pewaukee Business Park. Strollers and pets are welcome; we are excited to see you there!
CALENDAR
April 10 Program Committee
April 11 Bezos/Diversion Check-in
April 14 FP Executive Committee
April 14 FP Team Meeting
April 15 Waukesha Housing Service Provider Meeting
April 20 Easter
April 21 Housing Action Coalition Board of Directors
April 21 Family Promise of Waukesha County Board of Trustees
April 22 Giving Day
May 3 VJS Foundation Run/Walk to benefit Family Promise of Waukesha County
July 21 Family Promise of Waukesha County Golf Outing
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