MILWAUKEE — During the winter, the number of homeless individuals sleeping on the streets of Milwaukee decreases significantly.
Jovonte Kendrick is a street outreach worker for Community Health Centers. He said not everyone has a place to go when temperatures drop.
“I am just trying to see if he’s … is he breathing,” said Kendrick when checking on a man curled up in a sleeping bag in the doorway of a Milwaukee storefront.
Outreach Community Health Centers outreach team comprises three people: street outreach worker Jovonte Kendrick, street outreach case manager Stacey Polley and the lead team member Sarelle Joiner.
Every Friday morning from 2 a.m.-6 a.m., the team takes to the streets trying to reach those that most would consider unreachable.
“We find people sleeping in their cars, abandoned houses, doorways of businesses and sometimes they can be in bus shelters,” said Joiner.
Those experiencing homelessness are asked to call 211 and tell them where they are sleeping outside.
This information is then passed onto groups like the Outreach Community Health Centers who will verify you are in fact homeless and start to find you housing.
“This is a very important part of the process and in order to get services, you do have to be verified sleeping in a location that you told 211,” said Polley.
Polley said during the winter, the number of people sleeping on the streets decreases significantly, but that does not stop the team from checking in even the hardest to reach places.
“Good morning street outreach, anyone home? That one is empty. Both of them are empty,” said Polley when searching in tents hidden in a wooded area in downtown Milwaukee.
One man that we are calling Andrew to protect his identity has been living on the streets of Milwaukee for three years.
“I don’t have to be [living on the streets,] but I neglect my responsibilities, so I am not able to maintain housing,” said Andrew.
Andrew struggles with addiction and would like to be sober and have a roof over his head, but he said he is not capable of doing that alone.
“It is rough and unnecessary,” said Andrew. “I don’t want your sympathy, but at the same time, I will put work in wherever I go.”
Kendrick said most of the time, the people they interact with on the streets don’t need or want help with housing.
“Most of the time they have somewhere to stay, or they don’t need our assistance at all, they just want to talk or just need some food.”
Another homeless individual, who we are calling Steve to hide his identity, said his life choices led to him living on the streets as well.
“I am staying in an abandoned apartment, and I just got arrested for shoplifting, and I had possession of ecstasy, Xanax and marijuana,” said Steve.
Joiner said not all the people living on the streets choose to be there.
“Mental health plays a big part of daily living and why they can’t afford to be in a house and why they feel like being outside is more comfortable for them,” said Joiner.
Kendrick said some individuals find themselves living on the streets because they are down on their luck.
“This man was on our 211 list, he said he was sleeping in his car,” said Kendrick. “This would be a good candidate for someone who wants to go to shelter because he also has a job, so he may transfer from shelter to permanent housing.”
During colder winter months, the team often finds individuals staying in police and hospital lobbies to stay warm. Areas that they check every Friday.
Every year, Milwaukee residents struggling with homelessness lose their lives to hypothermia.
It is the goal of the outreach team to decrease that number and save as many lives as they can.
“During the day we scope out spots to see if we see signs of life,” said Polley. “We might come across a bridge and see some blankets and make sure we check that spot at night.”