The Walker’s Point Youth and Family Center has provided free emergency housing and counseling services for Milwaukee-area youth since 1976. For most of that time, the Center has received federal funding to support its youth emergency shelter program through the Basic Center Program Grant.
In October, that funding was not awarded to the shelter. This came as a surprise to Audra O'Connell, executive director at the Walker's Point Youth and Family Center, who later learned that they were not funded due to chance.
"The message was clear: there was nothing wrong with the program, there was nothing wrong with the application per se. It was just, 'You know what, you didn't get picked this year try again next year,'" O'Connell says.
The Walker's Point Youth and Family Center is one of only two organizations providing youth shelters in Milwaukee, along with Pathfinders. Now, the number of beds for runaway and homeless youth in Milwaukee will be cut in half.
O'Connell says the grant had been used since 1978 to fund emergency shelter for "200-30" young people, and over 1,000 free counseling sessions annually.
O'Connell says the Walker's Point Youth and Family Center is also the only option for pregnant and parenting teens, and young people come to its shelter from all over the surrounding region.
"We're talking about Ozaukee County, Waukesha County, Walworth County, Jefferson County and everyone around us who relies on our services," she says.
In total, the grant covers $200,000 for these services. The Milwaukee Common Council is debating whether to approve a matching grant covering half of this cost, provided the Walker's Point Youth and Family Center can raise the other half.
