Finding Housing Proves Difficult For Many Northern Wisconsin Veterans

Homeless veterans in rural northern Wisconsin are having a hard time finding housing, according to service providers.

Sawyer County Veterans Service Officer Renee Brown said she’s seeing more Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who need a place to stay.

“Being in such a rural area, we are somewhat limited to local resources to get a veteran into a home right away,” Brown said. “The closest veterans home we have is in Chippewa Falls.”

Brown said they’ve been working with Indianhead Community Action Agency to connect vets to housing. CEO Pam Guthman said they’ve been able to house around 30 veterans.

“The goal is to meet their emergency needs the first few months or so, stabilize them and get them to the point where they’re able to increase their household income,” Guthman explained.

Renee Brown said veterans are often struggling with issues related to post-traumatic stress disorder and need help finding work. The program serves 10 counties for vets in northwestern Wisconsin.