The Hidden Crisis In Plain Sight
As someone who spent five years in the housing sector and now works as a peer support specialist focusing on mental health and substance use recovery, I can tell you that the housing crisis we face today in Wisconsin is more than an issue of shelter—it’s an epidemic. Whether it's two working parents, single caregivers, or split custody families, housing instability keeps surfacing as a key issue. And while I’ve left the housing sector to pursue my passion in mental health and recovery work, it continues to show up in the lives of those I support, revealing an undeniable link between housing insecurity, mental health challenges, and substance use.
The State of the Housing Crisis in Wisconsin
In Dane County, the housing market has shifted dramatically. The current homelessness numbers are staggering—on any given night, over 700 individuals are experiencing homelessness in Dane County alone. Shelters are overpopulated, creating temporary, yet inadequate, solutions for those who need long-term stability. For many families, finding safe, affordable housing has become an impossible feat. Whether you are working two jobs or barely scraping by on minimum wage, the high cost of living is affecting everyone—not just those society deems as “undeserving.”
Let’s talk about the numbers. According to recent data, the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment in Dane County is around $1,100, while a three-bedroom can easily reach $1,800 or more. Pair these numbers with the fact that the employment rate in Dane County hovers at around 2.7%—suggesting most people are working—and you begin to see the problem: people are working, but they’re not making enough to survive. I’ve personally seen families hustling between multiple jobs, yet still losing benefits like food assistance because they earn just a few pennies too much. The phrase “too expensive to be poor” has never felt more real.
Housing Instability and Mental Health: An Overlooked Intersection
When you don’t know where you’ll sleep next month, or even tomorrow, the toll it takes on your mental health is profound. Studies show that individuals experiencing housing instability are at a higher risk for anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders. Homelessness exacerbates mental health challenges, making it nearly impossible for people to recover when they’re fighting just to survive. And it’s not just adults—children in unstable housing situations are more likely to struggle with emotional and behavioral issues, lag behind in school, and experience long-term trauma.
Systemic racism continues to create barriers for marginalized communities, particularly Black and Brown families. Housing policies that were meant to uplift often fall short, pushing people deeper into cycles of poverty. For families already navigating multiple systems—like child protective services, housing programs, healthcare due to chronic illness, and employment expectations—the weight of these burdens can be crushing.
Take, for example, a mother I met recently. She is a single parent with multiple children, one of whom was removed from her care by the state. As a result, she’s required to pay child support—a requirement that’s garnished from her wages even though she’s barely surviving herself. On top of that, she works two jobs to make ends meet, yet her income is high enough that she no longer qualifies for food assistance or other critical resources. She has a housing voucher, but her rent is so high that the voucher doesn’t actually help her pay anything. Imagine the emotional toll this takes on someone. Constantly worrying about how to feed her children, how to keep a roof over their heads, while trying to maintain a job and comply with all of the state’s demands.
Why Current Solutions Are Failing
Programs like subsidized housing, Section 8 vouchers, and low-income housing are essential, but they are failing to meet the needs of many. And the issue isn’t just the lack of availability, though that’s a huge problem. It’s the unintended consequences of some of these programs. For example, large complexes are built to house low-income families, yet they’re placed in areas with no access to public transportation, grocery stores, or healthcare services. The isolation that comes from living in these so-called “affordable” housing areas can fuel crime, make it harder for families to stay connected to jobs, and ultimately deepen the divide between economic classes.
There’s also the long-term impact of housing instability on children. Kids who move frequently or lack stable housing are more likely to struggle socially and academically. They might act out in school, or they might withdraw altogether. The trauma of never feeling safe can follow them into adulthood, impacting their ability to form healthy relationships, maintain employment, and avoid substance use.
Systemic Barriers and the Burden of Poverty
What does it mean to provide holistic care when systemic policies continuously stand in the way of people overcoming impoverished living conditions? It’s not just about housing. People navigating poverty are also facing the loss of essential benefits as soon as they start to make just a little more money. These families are often told to “budget better,” but the truth is you can’t budget when the ends don’t meet. For some families, parents are going without food so their children can eat, and they are robbing Peter to pay Paul every month just to get by.
The root cause of this crisis goes beyond housing first models or low-income programs. It lies in systemic inequalities, decades of underinvestment in affordable housing, and policies that fail to address the intersectionality of poverty, race, mental health, and substance use. Systemic racism plays a massive role here, especially when we look at the discriminatory practices that have historically excluded marginalized communities from housing opportunities, further entrenching cycles of poverty.
Potential Solutions Beyond the Status Quo
We need bold solutions that go beyond what’s already on the table. Increasing the availability of affordable housing in areas with access to public transportation, healthcare, and grocery stores is a start, but we need to think even bigger.
Universal Basic Income (UBI): This could provide families with a stable foundation, giving them the financial breathing room they need to avoid falling into homelessness.
Mental Health and Housing Support Integration: Combining housing with comprehensive mental health services ensures that individuals not only have a place to live but also the emotional and psychological support they need to thrive.
Zoning Reform: Many of the housing shortages we face today are because of outdated zoning laws that prevent the building of affordable, multi-family housing. Reforming these laws could help alleviate housing shortages in areas with high demand.
Holistic Case Management: Families navigating multiple systems like child protective services, housing programs, and healthcare should have access to case managers who can help them coordinate these complex systems, reducing the burden on already overstressed parents.
A Call to Action
The housing crisis in Wisconsin, and across the nation, is an epidemic—one that cannot be ignored. It’s not just impacting those on the margins of society; it’s affecting everyone. But for those already struggling under the weight of systemic oppression, the consequences are even more dire. We must demand better policies, more equitable solutions, and compassionate support systems.
To the policymakers, community leaders, and advocates: Listen to the stories of the families who are barely holding on. Understand that housing is not just a roof over someone’s head; it’s the foundation of mental health, stability, and community. We must move beyond band-aid solutions and work toward systemic change that addresses the root causes of housing instability.
For those of us supporting families navigating these crises, let’s continue to bring empathy into our work. The strength of these families is undeniable, but they shouldn’t have to be so strong just to survive. It’s time we work toward a future where no one has to choose between feeding their children and keeping a roof over their heads.
This is more than a housing crisis. It’s a moral crisis. And we cannot afford to ignore it any longer.
