MADISON – Gov. Tony Evers announced today that 41 organizations from Ashland to Janesville, to Eau Claire to Green Bay, will share some $1 million in grants from the WHEDA Foundation as they work to provide emergency shelter, transitional residences, and extremely low-income housing.
Administered by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), the WHEDA Foundation grants improve housing for community members, including individuals with disabilities, survivors of domestic abuse, individuals with chronic mental illness, those with incomes at or below 30 percent of the area median income, and youth experiencing homelessness.
“Throughout Wisconsin, providers of emergency and transitional housing are working harder than ever to keep our most vulnerable residents safe and connected with healthcare and community services that support stability and help Wisconsinites thrive,” Gov. Evers said. “The WHEDA Foundation grants play an essential role in creating and improving these residences for community members.”
WHEDA CEO Joaquín Altoro said this year’s award of $1,040,000 in grants will create or improve 845 beds and housing units across the state. The investments at the community level also support economic recovery by creating valued construction jobs.
“By working with nonprofit and other local partners, the WHEDA Foundation leverages their expertise and builds capacity throughout Wisconsin,” CEO Altoro said. “This marks the 36th year the WHEDA Foundation has provided financial support through the housing grant program. This year’s grants will expand the supply of safe, affordable housing for people with special needs as well as for individuals and families negatively impacted by the pandemic.”
The winning 2020 grant proposals include the purchase of a new building to serve as a new shelter in Beaver Dam, a new security system at a shelter in Merrill, a new roof at a multifamily housing property in Chilton, rehabbing vacant manufactured homes to provide housing for low-income families in Janesville and upgrading five shelter bathrooms to meet American with Disabilities Act standards in La Crosse.
Providers in Ashland, Brown, Burnett, Calumet, Dane, Dodge, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Jefferson, La Crosse, Lincoln, Marinette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Outagamie, Polk, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Shawano, Waukesha, Winnebago and Wood counties received awards ranging from $2,142 to $40,000.
WHEDA received 65 applications through the housing grant competition this year totaling $2,013,456 in funding requests, an indication of the high demand and need in Wisconsin.
The annual Housing Grant Program competition is funded entirely by WHEDA reserves and uses no state tax dollars. Organizations receiving the grants include nonprofit agencies, local governments and tribal authorities serving low-income or disadvantaged populations including homeless people, runaways, youth in out-of-home placement, people with alcohol or drug dependencies, people in need of protective services, frail elderly residents and people living with HIV disease, among others.
Since 1985, the WHEDA Foundation has issued 1,198 awards totaling $25,968,000 to housing providers across the state. Established by WHEDA in 1983, the foundation is responsible for receiving and administering housing grant funds on behalf of WHEDA. Grants are awarded in one of two categories: emergency/transitional housing or permanent housing.
A complete list of the 2020 grant award recipients is available here. To keep up with information about WHEDA resources, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and sign up to receive emails here.
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Walker's "I Know Nothing" Defense Nothing New: Has Used it in Seven Previous Scandals
[img_assist|nid=141740|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=300|height=243]Scott Walker's defense in the John Doe investigation is simple: He's going to claim ignorance. That he was like Mr. Magoo and walked through illegal activity without seeing any of it.
Here's the thing, though, Walker has already played that card many, many times in the past:
- Last week it was revealed that the wife of the Dane County GOP Chair, got an 81K a year job, even though she didn't have a four-year college degree. Walker's response: He knew nothing.
- Last month it was revealed that Walker Aide Tim Russell had been fired from WHEDA, for stealing tax payer dollars. Walker's response? He didn't know. Which is of course absurd, considering that Walker and Russell were close friends before and after he worked for WHEDA.
- In April of 2011, Walker testified before Congress and was grilled about accepting a bribery offer of being flown out to a vacation in California from someone he thought to be David Koch. Walker responded that he didn't consider it a bribe offer because, "I don't even know where Cali is."
- In early 2011, it was revealed that Walker's administration had given the son of a powerful GOP lobbyist an 81K a year executive job, even though the 20-something kid was a college drop-out, had two driving arrests and had little experience. Walker's response: He knew nothing.
- In 2006, when Walker was running for governor, he hired Bruce Pfaff to be his campaign manager. This is the same Bruce Pfaff that did campaign work on the taxpayer's dime as an aide to Scott Jensen. When the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel asked Walker why he would hire a criminal, Walker responded that he did not know Pfaff had worked for Jensen. Of course, this was absurd, because Pfaff worked for Jensen while Jensen was the Speaker of the Assembly and while Walker was also in the assembly. Walker not only knew Pfaff during that time, but knew him well.
- In 2004, Walker was up to his neck in the Bear Stearns scandal in Milwaukee County. (The one where Bear Stearn's Nick Hurtgen poured thousands into Walker's campaign and then was awarded a bond contract even though Bear Stearn's wasn't the lowest bidder.) Walker's response: I know nothing! (And all the documents related to the deal were conveniantly destroyed.)
- In 2002, during the caucus scandal, the same Scott Walker that had served as chair of the Campaigns and Elections Committee claimed he knew nothing of the illegal campaign activity occurring in the capitol.
That's alot of not knowing. I have a feeling that John Doe investigators aren't buying Walker's standard excuse this time around.
Press releases and other content not written by a specific Eye On Dunn County author are listed as Eye On Dunn County Staff.
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