POLITICS

'Warming rooms' for homeless people set to get $75,000 boost from the City of Milwaukee

Mary Spicuzza
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Warming rooms" for homeless people in Milwaukee are set to get a $75,000 boost from the city to help them operate.

The rooms, which are run by nonprofit groups, typically operate between the beginning of December through the end of February. But they currently don't open until temperatures drop to bitterly cold — just 10 degrees — in Milwaukee.

Street Angels Milwaukee held a silent protest Saturday, advocating for warming shelters and housing for homeless people.

Leaders of nonprofit groups told city officials at a recent City Hall meeting that the rooms can be costly to operate — both because of utility costs as well as staffing needs. They also hope to open them at temperatures higher than the current limits.

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A resolution by Ald. Michael Murphy will help fund the warming rooms with $75,000 from the Housing Trust Fund. It was approved Tuesday at city's Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee on Tuesday morning. 

It now heads to the full Council for its approval.

The move comes after a recent meeting at City Hall where aldermen, police and fire officials, and nonprofit groups discussed efforts to combat homelessness in Milwaukee.

It also follows a protest last month by Street Angels Milwaukee, a volunteer group that provides life-sustaining goods to scores of homeless people living on the street.

The volunteers gathered at North 6th and West Clybourn streets, near the entrance ramp to I-94, to draw attention to the plight of people living in tents there.