Homelessness on the rise…

….and it’s affecting more families than ever:

Each day they search, hoping to find a nearby shelter with room for them but are turned away.

“Every time you call them, they’re all full already,” Neal said.

“It’s full. Every shelter is full,” said Nancy Szudzik, the director of the Salvation Army’s Emergency Lodge.

The Salvation Army’s Emergency Lodge is one of the few shelters equipped to care for homeless families.

“That’s the fastest growing population, the families. That’s the fastest growing population for homelessness, is families now,” Szudzik said.

“Are you turning people away?” WISN 12 News reporter Kent Wainscott asked.

“Unfortunately, all the time,” said Bernie Juno, shelter director of Waukesha’s Hebron House.

Juno said homelessness is reaching into every corner of every community.

“We’re seeing a very different population that has never experienced poverty before and that survival that you need when you become homeless, is much more challenging for them,” Juno said.

This is the real impact of the economic downturn, and it’s an issue that needs to be addressed. It’s clear there simply are not enough resources (in the form of shelters and assistance programs) in place to assist families struggling with homelessness.