PROVIDING
We believe that everyone in Madison deserves a place to call home.
PROVIDING PEACE, HOPE AND SHELTER FOR OVER 30 YEARS
For over 30 years, Housing Initiatives has ended homelessness for more than 1,000 people who live with severe mental illness by providing them with a permanent home and supportive services to help them lead a healthier life. They are single men and women. They are families. They are veterans. They are the mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and children of people throughout our community – just like everyone else.
OUR IMPACT
Our approach is different, and we get results. 95% of our residents never return to homelessness.
LEARN MORE
OUR APPROACH
We have an innovative model for transitionally mentally ill residents to permanent housing.
LEARN MORE
OUR PARTNERS
We partner with several Madison organizations in an effort to end homelessness.
LEARN MORE
For most, homelessness is not a “lifestyle choice.” It’s the result of challenging, often unexpected, life events that could happen to any one of us.
THE ISSUES WE FACE
In Dane County, well over 3,000 people experience homelessness every year. For some, homelessness is a once-in-lifetime experience, for others it’s a chronic battle that they cannot escape from. Loss of a job, poverty, lack of affordable housing options, severe mental illness, racial disparity, and fleeing domestic violence are the greatest reasons for homelessness in our community.
65%
73,000
21%
46.9%
35%
MENTAL ILLNESS AND HOMELESSNESS
Mental illness can hit anyone at any time. Mental illness knows no racial, income, or intelligence boundaries. Many people have no symptoms of mental illness until early adulthood. And when it hits, it hits hard. Most experience an unexpected, significant mental breakdown. During this time, people are caught so off-guard that they do not know how to manage the turmoil happening inside their mind. They cannot function, life spirals out of control, and many lose their jobs, resulting in an inability to pay for their home. Within a matter of months, they find themselves sick and living on the streets.
Unfortunately, many homeless people are mentally ill and undiagnosed. While 32% of Madison’s homeless neighbors report they have a diagnosed mental illness, it is believed 60% or more of homeless people have a mental illness that they have not seen a doctor for.
Fortunately, Housing Initiatives knows how to solve the problem of chronic homelessness due to mental illness. Housing Initiatives has developed an innovative, successful model for ending chronic homelessness, with over 95% of program participants never returning to living on the streets.
When someone is sick and has no family to care for them, Housing Initiatives can guide them out of the darkness. We all need a safe place to call home.
OUR CLIENTS BEST TELL OUR STORY
For over 30 years, Housing Initiatives has ended homelessness for more than 800 men, women, and veterans who suffer from a mental illness by providing them with a permanent home and supportive services to help them lead a healthier life.
YOU CAN GIVE THE GIFT OF HOME
Donate today to help us provide quality housing to Madison’s most vulnerable residents.
1110 Ruskin Street – Madison, WI 53704
(608) 227-8330 | info@housinginitatives.org
Anyone who is homeless, concerned about becoming homeless, or looking for a place to sleep for the evening should contact the Dane County Housing Resource line at (855) 510-2323.
To visit our CLIENT WEBSITE – designed for our clients with client needs in mind – CLICK HERE or visit hii-community.org