Dane County Picks Location For Homeless Day Shelter

Dane County’s two-year search for a place to locate a day shelter for the homeless is apparently over.

The location on Madison’s south side, which still needs final approval, is closer to downtown Madison than some other options considered. The planned day shelter will be more than just a place to get out of the cold or get away from summer’s heat. It’s envisioned as resource center to prevent evictions and provide a link to jobs.

Dane County Board Chairman, John Hendrick, says $330,000 would be spent to buy property three miles south of downtown, a little over half of what the board budgeted last year. Money will also be spent remodeling.

“The very basic services of restrooms, showers, laundry, lockers,” said Hendrick. “But also the phones, and just the very simple thing of having a mailbox. If you apply for a job and they need to send you something, what is your address if you are homeless?”

It’s these simple but vital necessities that Leslie Howard hopes can reduce the number of homeless in Dane County. The United Way president estimates there are 3,000 people who use area shelters each year.

“We want to tip the scales, and I think what we’re doing is going to really help tip those scales,” said Howard.

The county hopes to purchase and expand what is currently a smaller day shelter known as Porchlight’s Hospitality House. The new facility would be open in November. Madison and the United Way of Dane County will pay $50,000 each for operation costs, which are expected to be $300,000 annually.