Community Advocates Inc

COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, INC. PROVIDES FOR DIRECT ADVOCACY, SKILLED AND RESULTS-FOCUSED ADVOCACY SERVICES TO LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES EXPERIENCING EXTREMELY DIFFICULT BASIC NEEDS, HEALTH CARE, UTILITY, AND HOUSING CHALLENGES.

THE PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE (PPI) WAS FOUNDED IN 2008 TO PREVENT AND END THE POVERTY THAT BRINGS PEOPLE THROUGH OUR DOORS AT COMMUNITY ADVOCATES. PPI WORKS TO PROMOTE AND IMPLEMENT EVIDENCE-BASED POLICIES THAT WILL MINIMIZE AND REDUCE POVERTY AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN MILWAUKEE AND THROUGHOUT WISCONSIN BY ADVOCATING FOR POLICY CHANGES, CONVENING COALITIONS, AND SUPPORTING COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS TO INCREASE OUR COLLECTIVE IMPACT.

UTILITIES PROGRAMS HELP LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES AVOID SERVICE INTERRUPTION AND DISCONNECTION. IN 2019, 40,938 ENERGY ASSISTANCE APPLICATIONS WERE PROCESSED PROVIDING NEEDED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND PAYMENT PLANS FOR THESE FAMILIES TO MAINTAIN THEIR UTILITIES. ADDITIONALLY, 10,486 INDIVIDUALS COMPLETED CRISIS APPLICATIONS TO PREVENT DISCONNECTION OR HAVE THEIR UTILITIES RESTORED.

COMPREHENSIVE HOUSING PROGRAMS PROVIDE CASE MANAGEMENT, ADVOCACY, RELOCATION SERVICES, AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO REDUCE THE RISK OF HOMELESSNESS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO ARE LOW-INCOME AND VULNERABLE TO BECOMING HOMELESS. IN 2019, 4,372 CLIENTS WERE PLACED IN PERMANENT HOUSING AND MAINTAINED THEIR HOUSING FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS, 9,765 FAMILIES RECEIVED ASSISTANCE TO RESOLVE TENANT/LANDLORD ISSUES TO SUSTAIN HOUSING, AND 223 ADULTS AND 491 CHILDREN RECEIVED INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES AND SUPPORT TO INCREASE HOUSING STABILITY, SCHOOL STABILITY, AND FINANCIAL STABILITY.

OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES INCLUDE:THE PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE CONTINUES TO SERVE AS THE ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE MILWAUKEE BRIGHTER FUTURES INITIATIVE (MBFI). THIS INITIATIVE AIMS TO POSITIVELY IMPACT MILWAUKEE YOUTH BY INCUBATING PROGRAMMING FOCUSING ON TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION, ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION, AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION. AS MBFI ADMINISTRATOR, PPI CONVENED MBFI GRANTEES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO FOSTER COLLABORATION AND PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO IMPROVE PROGRAM OUTCOMES.DISABILITY ADVOCACY PROGRAMS PROVIDE SSI/SSDI APPLICATION ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND PROTECTIVE PAYEE SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES NEEDING HELP MANAGING THEIR FINANCES. DURING 2019, 576 CLIENTS RECEIVED ASSISTANCE WITH FILING FOR SSI/SSDI BENEFITS AND 85 INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABLING CONDITIONS RECEIVED PROTECTIVE PAYEE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES.AUTUMN WEST SAFE HAVEN IS A LOW-BARRIER, HOUSING REFUGE FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CURRENTLY HOMELESS AND EXPERIENCING SEVERE AND PERSISTENT MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. THIS PROGRAM IS AN ALTERNATIVE TO EMERGENCY SHELTER AND DESIGNED TO PROVIDE SAFE, SHORT-TERM HOUSING ALONG WITH SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS AS THEY TRANSITION OUT OF HOMELESSNESS. AUTUMN WEST EMBRACES HOUSING FIRST AND HARM REDUCTION PRINCIPLES. OF THE 44 INDIVIDUALS SERVED IN 2019, 77% WERE SAFELY AND STABLY HOUSED AT AUTUMN WEST OR MOVED ON TO PERMANENT HOUSING BY THE END OF THE YEAR.THE HOMELESS OUTREACH PROGRAM (HOP) PROVIDES PERSON-CENTERED OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT TO INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AND OTHER DISABILITIES WHO ARE LIVING ON THE STREETS OR OTHER PLACES NOT MEANT FOR HUMAN HABITATION. CLIENTS ARE ASSESSED BY CLINICIANS AND ADVOCATES AND ARE PROVIDED SERVICES TO ASSIST THEM IN STABILIZING THEIR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH AND HOMELESS SITUATIONS. HOP SERVED 138 MEN AND WOMEN DURING 2019. PROGRAM STAFF ALSO PROVIDED CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES TO 38 FORMERLY HOMELESS CLIENTS WHO ARE IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AS PART OF THE HOUSING FIRST INITIATIVE. PROJECT BRIDGE/AUTUMN WEST PERMANENT HOUSING PROGRAM PROVIDES IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO SAFE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO 100 MILWAUKEE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS CHRONICALLY HOMELESS AND LIVING WITH A DISABILITY. UTILIZING HOUSING FIRST PRINCIPLES, THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES THAT EMPLOY UP-TO-DATE BEST PRACTICES SUCH AS TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE, MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING, AND HARM REDUCTION TO HELP PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS ACHIEVE HOUSING STABILITY.IN 2019, THE FAMILY SUPPORT CENTER (FSC) PROVIDED SHELTER AND ASSISTANCE TO 123 LOW-INCOME, HOMELESS WOMEN AND 176 CHILDREN. FSC SERVICES INCLUDE PROVIDING SHELTER, FOOD, CLOTHING, AND PERSONAL CARE ITEMS AS WELL AS COMPREHENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT TO HELP FAMILIES ACCESS AND SECURE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO ALLEVIATE HOMELESSNESS. RESIDENTS ALSO BENEFIT FROM REFERRALS TO OTHER COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND WORKSHOPS TO HELP BUILD BUDGETING SKILLS.