In addition, the governor is proposing a series of initiatives intended to provide additional support for affordable housing availability and housing stability.
“The ultimate solution to homelessness is homes,” Volk said. “Affordable housing is a necessary tool to end homelessness in Wisconsin”
Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, who has become a champion on addressing homelessness among Republicans in the Legislature, applauded Evers’ proposals.
“As someone who has fought for our homeless population for years, I’m encouraged to see Gov. Evers has followed our lead and included critical funding to address homelessness in his budget,” Steineke said. “Working to ensure everyone in Wisconsin has a place to call home shouldn’t be a partisan issue. I’m glad to see the governor agrees.”
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, could not be reached.
Meanwhile, Steineke and Sen Kathy Bernier, R-Chippewa Falls, are reintroducing legislation to deliver funding that stalled in the Senate last year. The previous bills, based on proposals by the interagency council’s action plan to end homelessness, passed overwhelmingly in the Assembly and were echoed in Evers’ first budget. But the eight bills, which would have provided $7.5 million in new spending over two years, initially stalled in the budget committee and seven never made it to the Senate floor for a vote. The lone bill that passed provides $1 million in additional funding to a grant program that supports emergency homeless shelters over two years.
