MILWAUKEE — A new emergency shelter in Ozaukee County is helping families fight homelessness.
Family Promise of Ozaukee County’s new shelter, Portlight Emergency Shelter, opened in January. It started welcoming guests in February.
Family Promise helps families in crisis find stability and housing. It also provides resources and services to individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the county.
Cori Guerin is the CEO of the organization. Guerin said they were awarded a $2.3 million grant. That grant allowed them to purchase a new building and renovate it.
The new space includes a community space and a brand-new kitchen. Guerin said local church congregations can come in throughout the week to prepare hot meals for guests.
“We will be able to serve up to 20 individuals total,” she said. “We have four suites for families, two suites for single females and two suites for single males.”
Guerin said they previously followed a church model. That meant families would stay overnight at different congregations in the program for a week at a time. At the end of the week, families would pack up and move to the next church.
“The rent soared to over $14,000 per month,” said Guerin. “We had to make another pivot in how we did things.”
There are 200 family promise affiliates across the country. She said it’s about giving people a hand-up instead of a handout.
In March of 2020, churches closed because of the pandemic, so they needed to pivot. They worked with a local motel in Mequon to help house families for reduced rental rates.
“The rent soared to over $14,000 per month,” said Guerin. “We had to make another pivot in how we did things.”
There are 200 family promise affiliates across the country. She said it’s about giving people a hand-up instead of a handout.
“We’re here to help connect individuals with local resources, whether that be Foodshare, food pantries, Badger Care or job search,” she said.
Shelter advocate Jen Ann Bauer is helping advocate for families in the county. She is a former guest of Family Promise.
“I’m formerly incarcerated and was released homeless,” said Bauer. “27.5% of women in Wisconsin are housing unstable when they’re released from the prison system.”
She said the help she received inspired her to become a shelter advocate.
“Without having resources, this really takes a toll on a person,” she said.
Guerin said since opening in 2015, they’re served more than 150 households in this county.
“It’s unbelievable to imagine that in the second richest county in Wisconsin, Ozaukee County, that we actually have people in need of help who are on the verge of homelessness, who are homeless or who are imminently homeless,” she said.
While they have the new shelter, Guerin said most of their work is in homeless prevention and rapid rehousing. In today’s current climate, she said these resources are a big need for families.
“The way the economy is right now, people are having to make really hard decisions on do I put gas in my car to get to work or do I put milk on the table for my children,” she said.
If you’re in need of any resources, you can call Family Promise of Ozaukee County at (262) 268-2723.