UP YOUR THERMOSTAT OR THROW LOGS
ON THE FIRE, IMAGINE LIVING AND
SLEEPING OUTSIDE.
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS IN WISCONSIN ARE
DOING JUST THAT TONIGHT.
IN MADISON ALONE, LAST YEAR,
THEIR NUMBERS SWELL TO AROUND
600 BY SOME COUNTS, BUT THIS
WINTER ABOUT 30 PEOPLE ARE NEWLY
SHELTERED FROM THE COLD IN A NEW
WAY.
THEY ARE RESIDING IN AN
ENCAMPMENT OF SMALL, BUT PRIVATE
DWELLINGS THE CITY ERECTED FOR
PEOPLE WHO UNTIL JUST RECENTLY
WERE LIVING IN TENTS.
>> YOU KNOW YOU JUST FEEL HUMAN
AGAIN.
>> JAY WELCOMED US INTO HIS NEW
PLACE.
>> THIS IS MY BED WHICH IS,
[LAUGHTER]
>> IT'S COMFORTABLE.
>> HE HAS BEEN LIVING IN THE 8
BY 8 SHELTER NOR LESS THAN A
MONTH.
>> HERE'S MY KEYS.
WHEN THEY HANDED THEM TO ME THE
DAY I GOT HERE I THINK THAT'S
WHAT KIND OF -- YOU KNOW -- PUT
ME OVER THE EDGE A LITTLE BIT.
>> WHY?
>> BECAUSE I KNEW I WAS GOING TO
BE SAFE.
>> BEFORE BEING GIVEN THE KEYS
TO HIS FRESH START, HE HAD LIVED
IN A TENT IN THIS CITY PARK
ALONGSIDE NEARLY 100 OTHERS.
>> IT WAS MORE SURVIVAL MODE.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAD A FULL-TIME
SURVIVING MORE THAN LIVING AND
YOU KNOW GETTING BACK ON TRACK.
>> THE CITY HELPED MOVE 35
PEOPLE OUT OF THE DEPARTME
TENTS TO A HOTEL NEAR THE PARK.
30 MORE CAME HERE WHERE THERE
ARE BATHROOMS AND HOT SHOWERS
AND ROWS OF TINY HEATED
TEMPORARY HOMES.
>> YOU DON'T REALLY REALIZE A
WARM BATHROOM, HOT SHOWER, HEAT,
ELECTRICITY THOSE ARE ACTUALLY
NECESSITIES.
[LAUGHTER]
>> IT'S REALLY, REALLY, REALLY
BENEFICIAL TO FOLKS TO BE ABLE
TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THEIR NE
NEXT STEPS ARE GOING TO BE.
>> BRENDA KUNKLE RECRUITED ON
SIGHT RECOVERY SERVICES FOR
RESIDENCE.
>> THIS IS THE FIRST TIME FOR A
LOT OF PEOPLE THAT SOMEBODY HAS
BEEN ABLE TO JUST LISTEN WITHOUT
INTERRUPTION AND PEOPLE CAN TELL
THEIR STORY.
SO THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT
JUST WANT TO COME IN AND BE
HEARD AND JUST TALK.
>> SOME ADVOCATES SAY THE
SHELTER IS NECESSARY, BUT THEY
ARE STILL CRITICAL.
>> IT'S BETTER THAN A TENT, BUT
CERTAINLY A GOVERNMENT CAN DO
BETTER THAN TRYING TO HOUSE
PEOPLE FOR THE WINTER IN 8 BY 8
SHANTIES.
>> MYSELF I WAS PROBABLY A
LITTLE SKEPTICAL OF THE PROJECT
THINKING IT WAS JUST A BAND
AID.
>> BUT SEEING RESIDENTS FACES
LIGHT UP AND SMILE, KUNKLE SAYS
IT CAN SERVE AS A MODEL, ANOTHER
OPTION FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS.
A PEOPLE THAT HE FOUND HIMSELF
AFTER BAD CHOICES, BAD LUCK, AND
BAD CREDIT.
>> I DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS.
YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T ASK FOR
THIS.
HOMELESSNESS.
I DIDN'T ASK FOR IT.
>> WHEN OUTREACH WORKERS ASKED
HIM TO MOVE FROM THE TENT, HE
SAYS THE FEAR, THE PAIN AND THE
STRESS MELTED AWAY.
>> YOU KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO BE
WARM.
YOU KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO BE
SAFE HERE.
>> DONATIONS POURING TO THE SITE
AND THIS DAY, ONE WAS MARKED FOR
DELIVERY TO JAY.
>> TOWELS, SILVERWARE.
>> A DIFFERENT MEASURE OF WARMTH
FROM STRANGERS HE NEVER KNEW
CARED.
>> A SIGN THAT WILL BE HUNG UP.
[LAUGHTER]
>> THE CITY OF MADISON WILL
SPEND ABOUT $2 MILLION FROM
FEDERAL COVID RELIEF FUNDS FOR
THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION
OF THE SHELTERS INCLUDING ON
SITE SERVICES.
AS FOR JAY, HE IS LOOKING FOR