FP FIVE: Budget Cuts to Homeless Services
- Tasha Berillo
- May 9
- 6 min read
May 09, 2025
The Family Promise Five is a weekly newsletter whose purpose is to update, inform, and advocate for families who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
The mission of Family Promise of Waukesha County is to help low-income families and families experiencing homelessness achieve sustainable independence through a community-based response.
In this edition, you will find these stories:
What are your thoughts about the 2026 federal budget cutting housing programs such as Section 8 Vouchers, HOME funding and community development block grants?
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
You must first teach a child that they are loved. Only then are they ready to learn everything else
-Amanda Morgan
Happy Mother's Day to moms and to those who loved us and taught us everything else.
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
Thank you to Oakwood Church for spending the morning for spring cleaning and planting flowers.
Thank you to VJS Construction Services for sharing the proceeds of their 5K Run/Walk with Family Promise of Waukesha County.
01. RAISE YOUR HAND; LIFT THEIR FUTURE
Golf Outing will be held July 21
Fundraiser
Presented by
The Family Promise of Waukesha County Golf Outing presented by Green Bay Packaging- Baird Division has filled up quickly. We are currently at capacity for individual golfers and foursomes. Please contact Julie Bice to be added to a waitlist for any individuals or foursomes who would like to participate. Based on past experience, we do expect there will be additional opportunities for those who would like to golf.
Several sponsorship opportunities are still available! Please visit our sponsorship page to review the available sponsorship opportunities. Current sponsorships range from $250 to $3,000. Thank you to all those who are sponsoring the event! Please support all those who are sponsoring the golf outing and let them know you appreciate their support of our agency.
However you get involved, all proceeds help Family Promise of Waukesha County to expand all our programming initiatives - especially the Oconomowoc Shelter and Prevention programs. Your generosity helps us provide the following services:
Rent Assistance
Security Deposits
Utilities and Wifi
Case Management
Car Repairs
Bus Passes
Shelter Program Leases
02. BABY SHOWER
Shelter mom due in early June
Community
We are still in need of a few items for a mom participating in the Apartment Shelter Program who is expecting in early June. Review the list of supplies that the client is requesting in preparation for her hospital bag and baby registry and use the sign-up genius to claim the remaining items.
Items can be dropped off at Family Promise of Waukesha County at 139 E North St, Waukesha, WI 53188 by May 16. You can also purchase items on Amazon and have them delivered to our Day Center.
Contact Tasha for questions or to coordinate the donation of supplies.
03. 2026 BUDGET CUTS TO HOMELESS SERVICES
Cuts to CDBG, Section 8 and other supportive programs proposed
Advocacy
Housing experts who are reviewing the proposed federal budget are raising concerns about the impact budget cuts will have to housing programs. A 43% cut to housing programs will impact programs such as Section 8 vouchers, Community Development Block Grants and HOME Program. The Section 8 housing voucher expands the availability of affordable housing by subsidizing the rent of qualifying individuals. In a recent FP Five we shared that data from the Waukesha Housing Authority has 993 families on the Section 8 waitlist in Waukesha County.
Eric Oberdorfer, director of policy and legislative affairs at the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials said that these cuts will impact 3.8 million people who rely on these programs. “We are obviously in a significant housing affordability and supply crisis right now, and now is the time to support affordable housing programs . . . Devastating cuts like those proposed in the budget [for] public housing or to Section 8 would directly hurt families, communities and local economies.”
For those of us trying to support low-income families or families experiencing homelessness there is already greater need than we can support. Cutting funding at a time that the cost of rent continues to far outpace wages is counter-intuitive. While these cuts are aimed at housing programs having more individuals and families losing their housing will impact all of us.
Since this budget is just a proposal it can be changed before it is adopted. We invite you to communicate with your congressional representative if you would like to see funding for housing a priority. You can find your representative and their contact information here.
Ann Oliva, the Executive Director of National Alliance to End Homelessness wrote an opinion piece about the proposed budget in Newsweek.
POLL OF THE WEEK
What are your thoughts about the 2026 federal budget cutting housing programs such as Section 8 Vouchers, HOME funding and community development block grants?
0%This will harm those in poverty
0%We were spending too much on housing
0%Government spending is not the answer
0%Bad timing
You can vote for more than one answer.
04. LUNCH AND LEARN, ONLINE!
Learn about housing agencies and supportive services in Waukesha County
Community
You are invited to learn about the agencies serving families and individuals who are housing insecure in Waukesha County. The purpose of these sessions are to celebrate and promote the good work being done in service of our community. Too often members of our community are not even aware of the need and resources available. These sessions will be online over the lunch hour on Wednesday, May 28 and Tuesday June 3. Below is a brief description of each session:
May 28: Lunch and Learn, Online!: Housing
Learn about the services from agencies who provide shelter or housing services to families and individuals in Waukesha County. Participants will also have an opportunity to ask questions. Expected participating agencies are: Community Action Coalition of South Central Wisconsin, Family Promise of Waukesha County, Hebron Housing Services, Lutheran Social Services, Salvation Army, and St Vincent DePaul
June 3: Lunch and Learn, Online!: Supportive Services
Learn about agencies who provide supportive services to families and individuals who are housing insecure. Participating agencies are: Food Pantry of Waukesha County, Waukesha Free Clinic, Hope Center, NAMI, James Place, Denoon Recovery, Crisis Intervention Center and Waukesha Public Library
O5. THE QUICKSAND OF POVERTY
Story about transportation reveals how difficult it can be to escape poverty
Accompaniment
Transportation remains an issue that is a challenge for many of the families we support. Recently we began working with a client who had her car stolen. Unfortunately she did not have insurance and was still making payments on the car. Now she has to choose between making payments on a car she no longer has, saving for rent or trying to secure a different car. Like most people in Waukesha County, she works in an area that does not have public transportation so having a car is essential.
When we share stories like this we know that often the response of those who hear it is why did she not have insurance. When you are a low-income family these are the types of choices you have to make. Planning for a worst case scenario and purchasing insurance is a luxury when you are trying to pay rent, medical bills, school costs and other expenses that seem more immediate.
This story also can be applied to the notion that a low-income family can budget their way out of poverty or homelessness. In a way that is what she was trying to do- pay what she could afford. She could not afford insurance and that decision has further complicated her situation. When you do not have enough income budgeting is not the issue.
FIVE PLUS
Brian Goldstone, author of There is No Place for Us:Working and Homeless in America, participated in a seminar with the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program.
CALENDAR
May 12 Staff Meeting
May 12-13 Family Promise Financial Audit
May 13 FP Executive Committee Meeting
May 13 Heart Committee
May 16 Women and Girls Fund: Women of Distinction Luncheon
May 19 Housing Action Coalition Board of Directors
May 19 FP Board of Trustees
May 28 Lunch and Learn Online! Supportive Services
June 2 Volunteer Coordinator Meeting @ Waukesha Public Library
June 3 Lunch and Learn Online! Supportive Services
July 21 Family Promise of Waukesha County Golf Outing
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