New Program Hopes To Help People Transition Out of Group Homes

A homeless tent encampment on the edge of MacArthur Square. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Milwaukee County’s Housing Division operates under the “housing first” philosophy, however, this doesn’t mean the agency assumes all anyone needs is housing.

This is exemplified by a new program the county’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is working on. The effort aims to close a gap in housing services for people with a mental illness that can be managed, but is otherwise preventing them from living independently in stable housing.

The program would incorporate some of the same tactics used to rapidly house people living on the street and apply them to a program that will help county residents better manage the mental health challenges that are preventing them from maintaining stable housing.

DHHS is calling it the “Supported Apartment Program.” The effort combines affordable housing with on-site mental health and wellness services. Right now, a gap exists between group homes or residential care facilities and full independent living. Transitioning from one to the other can be difficult.

“Supported Apartments offer a pathway to an independent and fulfilling life for individuals living with a mental illness who are being served in the behavioral health system,” the department said in a program overview for potential partners.

The plan is to find an organization that will master lease apartments for up to 25 people. The units would then be sublet out at affordable rates. In recent years, the Housing Division has favored master leasing as a tactic for having housing units on standby that can be used to rapidly house individuals in crisis or facing homelessness.

The units will be rented out at no more than 30% an individual’s income. There, they will receive help with meal planning and food preparation, even meal delivery for some individuals; they may receive rehabilitative services that include prompting, guidance or support with personal hygiene, cleaning their apartment, managing money, using public transportation, personal fitness communication skills and socialization; physical health and medication monitoring; and education about how to cope with and manage their mental illness.

The goal is to provide another stepping stone toward dignified, independent living.

The department is budgeting approximately $533,000 to run the program from May through the end of the year. It is currently soliciting potential partners.