Ron Abfalter (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Series: Homelessness Around Wisconsin

More Wisconsinites have become homeless since the Great Recession, but their numbers have proven difficult to track. In fact, different methods of counting the homeless yield wildly different numbers. But it's clear that homelessness spans both urban and rural areas in Wisconsin, and is having a huge impact on children and families, not just single adults. Researchers, advocates and policymakers across the state are exploring new approaches to address homelessness, from experimenting with the "housing-first" model to proposing controversial ordinances that restrict where people can sleep or ask for money.
 
Andrew Hopgood spent eight years going to sleep and waking up in a prison cell serving time for a robbery charge. When he was released in 2008, he lost the shelter prison provided him every night, and he faced the very real problem of where to stay.
Data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development shows homelessness in Wisconsin declined by more than double the national rate this year.
Dangerous wind chills and snow are in the forecast for Wisconsin this weekend. The weather has those who some people who help the homeless ensuring no one is left out in the cold.
The state's largest non-government effort to help homeless veterans says requests for aid continue to come in by the hundreds each year.
The federal government is putting $23 million toward Wisconsin's efforts to end homelessness.
Madison has reached one goal in reducing veteran homelessness. But it still faces challenges.
Wisconsin's latest battle over landlord-tenant relations has crucial implications for people enduring abusive relationships.