Tribal Supportive Housing Institute to Focus on Wisconsin's Native Communities

Building on the success of the first Wisconsin Supportive Housing Institute, WHEDA and CSH are joining together again to launch a Tribal Supportive Housing Institute. The goal of the institute is to increase capacity within tribal communities to develop supportive housing, both on and off tribal land, and to reduce the timeline for building supportive housing by improving the planning and development process.

The tribal institute will provide 7-10 teams made up of developers, social service providers, property managers, and other key tribal staff with technical assistance and training to take a supportive housing development from an idea to reality. The institute will be held over six months with training each month being held in-person or virtually.

Native housing professionals, non-Native allies, and community stakeholders interested in developing supportive housing are encouraged to apply. Housing is critical to the health and wellness of individuals. By connecting affordable housing with supportive services, WHEDA and CSH aim to create lasting benefits for Native communities statewide. According to the CSH supportive housing needs assessment, Wisconsin needs 13,429 more supportive housing units to meet the needs of communities across the State. Data also shows that Native Americans in Wisconsin are 4.5 times more likely to experience chronic homelessness and 6.6 times more likely to experience family homelessness compared to all other groups.

Early last year, WHEDA and CSH hosted a four-part webinar series on supportive housing. The webinars focused on the basics of supportive housing, integrated housing models, supportive services, and property management. Access to the webinar recordings and more information about the initiative can be found on WHEDA’s website.

Stay tuned for the application to participate in the Tribal Supportive Housing Institute in the coming weeks.