Wisconsin Republicans, Democrats fight cuts to program that helps homeless veterans

MADISON - Republicans and Democrats are joining together to fight cuts to a program for homeless veterans that affects 49 Wisconsinites.

Last week, state Veterans Affairs Secretary Daniel Zimmerman disclosed that federal funding would be eliminated in September for a housing program for the veterans homes in King and Union Grove.

Zimmerman said in a letter to advocates for veterans that he was taking steps to find housing for people in the program but that no new veterans seeking help would be enrolled in the program. 

Eighty-one of Wisconsin's 132 state lawmakers on Friday sent a letter to the director of the federal homeless program to ask that funding for the program in Wisconsin be restored. 

“For some homeless veterans in our state, especially those in more northern and rural areas, there is simply an absence of necessary resources available to assist these individuals," lawmakers wrote to Jeffrey Quarles of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

They sent their letter a day after U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan of Janesville and U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher of Green Bay sent a letter to U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin asking why the program was cut. 

In a statement, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs spokeswoman said the federal agency was reallocating its resources for homeless veterans programs after it "found that some (VA) projects funded many years ago were providing services that are now out of date and do not reflect current community needs and/or take into consideration current community resources."

The federal government has funded the homeless program since 1995 at King and since 1997 at Union Grove. The state has been getting about $935,000 a year in federal funding for the two programs, said the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs. 

That funding will end in September, but the state will use its own resources to continue them through December.

A separate program will be expanded from 49 to 65 of Wisconsin's 72 counties to try to alleviate the situation. That program uses case workers to connect veterans with housing, medical care and other needs.

Laurel Clewell, state commander of the Wisconsin American Legion, said the state needs to come up with a more comprehensive plan. 

“These are men and women who have served this country and its taxpayers honorably, risked their lives and now we can’t put a roof over their heads in state facilities dedicated to veterans care? Veterans deserve better," Clewell said in a statement.

Zimmerman met with affected veterans and told them he would follow up with them personally to make sure their needs were met once they were placed elsewhere, said Zimmerman spokesman Carla Vigue. 

"We are absolutely committed to ensuring that these veterans continue to receive the job training, education, counseling and rehabilitative services they need to obtain steady employment, affordable housing and the skills to sustain a productive lifestyle," Vigue said by email.