By Chris Spangler
Tuesday marked the 31st National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, which takes place each year on the longest night of the year: the winter solstice.
Twenty Fort Atkinson residents gathered at Jones Park in the blustery cold to remember a local homeless man who died three years ago, as well as all who have no warm place in which to escape the elements.
It was in December 2018 that a 53-year-old homeless man, Keith Lueloff, was found dead at the Lions Park pavilion along Janesville Avenue in Fort Atkinson.
Police had spoken to him earlier in the evening, reminding him that he could not stay in the park after it closed at 10 p.m. At about 11 p.m., a patrol officer found Lueloff still there, not breathing and without a pulse. He was wearing a fleece shirt and a winter jacket.
The death prompted the founding of the Homeless Coalition of Fort Atkinson, which sponsored Tuesday’s vigil to promote awareness and to raise funds for addressing homelessness in the Fort Atkinson area.
Kenny Strege, vice president of the Homeless Coalition of Fort Atkinson, keynoted the vigil.
An employee of the Jefferson County Human Services Department, Strege has been involved with homeless and housing issues with several different community agencies in Dane, Jefferson, Walworth and Rock counties for more than 35 years.
“I am here today to inform you that homelessness in Fort Atkinson and Jefferson County does exist,” Strege told attendees. “I have been told by many that homelessness in Jefferson County is not real, as you don’t see individuals on the streets sleeping in parks, in business doorways and even under bridges.
“But just because you don’t see individuals or families sleeping on the streets does not mean they are not there,” he emphasized.
The statistics bear this out: So far in 2021, the Homeless Coalition of Fort Atkinson has assisted 86 households and 114 individuals. Services have ranged from providing information and referral to other community agencies that might be able to assist and providing financial assistance with emergency lodging, gas and food cards to mediating with landlords, helping individuals and households advocate with landlords to ensure their needs are being met and even negotiating to prevent evictions.
“I work in the Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) with the Jefferson County Human Services Department and I have firsthand experience that the challenges with those that are homeless have been even more difficult since (the arrival of) COVID-19 and the many variants,” Strege said.
He reported that from January through August 2021, CCS identified 21 households/individuals as being homeless. Of those, he said, six were literally homeless and 15 were identified as an immediate threat for homelessness.
In addition, four were identified as leaving or in a domestic violence situation, and of those, one was literally homeless and three were at an imminent threat of homelessness.
Strege cited the reasons people became homeless: Six were facing eviction or foreclosure, 13 had no or poor rental references, six experienced a nonrenewal of their lease, six were victims of domestic violence and seven were kicked out of their living situation or moved.
In addition, one reported the reason for being homeless as having been in jail or prison, while eight cited alcohol and other drug abuse issues and 15 identified mental health issues.
Strege said that people might not notice the homeless because not everyone is “living under a bridge.”
Of those 21 identified as homeless by CCS, one person was sleeping in a vehicle, five were sleeping in the community, one was released from an institution, 10 doubled up with friends and family, two were in motels paid by themselves, three were in motels paid by others/organizations and two were at Lueder Haus, a Jefferson County acute care facility for chronic mentally ill adults who are in immediate crisis, but not in need of hospitalization.
The 21 CCS households consisted of 22 adults and 11 children, with 13 households reporting being disabled and six reporting domestic abuse.
As for income, Strege said that 14 households reported having income, four were employed part time, one had income from cash and tips, nine received SSI/SSDI, three received child support and seven households reported having no income whatsoever.
During this past year, only two of those 21 cases were closed, one due to the household purchasing a home and the other because the individual died of COVID-19.
“In fact, do you know when the highest rate of homelessness is seen?” Strege asked. “You might be surprised to learn it is in the summer. Why, you might ask? I hear from many consumers that the people they were staying with felt it was getting warmer out and it should be easier to locate housing.”
Also Tuesday, Pastor Maribel Celiz of First United Methodist Church offered a prayer, and David Meyer, a friend of Lueloff, shared some memories.
Participants also enjoyed hot chocolate and brownies and sang Christmas carols.
Meanwhile, the Homeless Coalition of Fort Atkinson is undertaking a capital campaign to establish temporary transitional housing for homeless families.
The Fort Atkinson Community Foundation has offered a $100,000 challenge grant, which requires that the foundation raise at least $50,000, and meet a few other requirements, according to the foundation’s Executive Director Sue Hartwick.
Funding earned through the challenge grant and capital campaign will be used to secure a house in which to place a family for a certain amount of time so they can get back on their feet. Once they do, they will move on to their own home or apartment so another homeless family can move in.
Fort HealthCare has offered a three-bedroom house in the hospital’s neighborhood that the homeless coalition may use rent-free and eventually own outright upon moving it to its own lot.
There also are two other houses that might be available in a similar agreement after the first of the year.
Any rent collected by the coalition would be held in trust for the families to use as first and last months’ rent when they move out.
Donate to cause
Tax-deductible donations to the coalition and/or its capital campaign may be sent to the Homeless Coalition of Fort Atkinson at P.O. Box 785, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538.
Again, all contributions for the capital campaign will be matched by the Fort Atkinson Community Foundation.
Kenny Strege, vice president of the Homeless Coalition of Fort Atkinson, shares statistics revealing the “whos” and “whys” of homelessness. The coalition held a vigil Tuesday to remember homeless persons who have died and local people living without a roof over their head.
Two photos above: At top, the Rev. Maribel Celiz, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Fort Atkinson, leads a prayer. Above: Those observing the homeless vigil listen to the prayer.
Three photos above: Attendees sing Christmas carols at the close of the vigil and then enjoy refreshments and conversation afterward. Chris Spangler photos.
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