MADISON, Wis.— Charles Stovall is one of close to 80 homeless people who until recently was living at Reindahl Park in Madison, Wisconsin.

What You Need To Know

  • The city has been working hard for months to secure temporary housing for people experiencing homelessness

  • It is a $2 million dollar project  using federal coronavirus relief money for homeless assistance

  • Some people have a hard time finding housing even in the poorest parts of Madison

"Within three days span, I was evicted from my home and lost my job and then all of a sudden I was homeless... like I couldn't believe that it was happening at the time,” Stovall said. “Now I have no other choice but to believe that it's happening,"

The city has been working hard for months to secure temporary housing for people experiencing homelessness. It’s a project that costs about $2 million using federal coronavirus relief money targeted for homeless assistance.

On Tuesday, Madison city officials posted eviction notices on tents and belongings to notify Stovall and the others residing in Reindahl Park that they had 48 hours to remove their property. 

Stovall is one of a few that "chose to stay" to the bitter end until his belongings could be moved into storage. ​

He said he wanted to ensure everything was coordinated and ran smoothly. He didn't want people to lose everything that they have. 

Before living at the homeless encampment at Reindahl Park, James Degray helped organize campers and clean-ups at the Pike Park encampment. He is one of 30 individuals at a temporary shelter at Madison's first encampment on Dairy Drive.

"I don't know if I'm going to wind up back out here or not. I just don't know. So I'm trying to make sure everybody gets properly addressed and treated decent and then move along and try to help people," Degray said.

Yet, for Stovall, it’s still a struggle even with a place to stay.

"I have a felony conviction. I have a hard time finding housing even in the poorest parts of Madison. As far as, like finding a job that is commensurate with my degree, I haven't been able to find any traction whatsoever," Stovall said.​