In August 2011, Tami Fleming was volunteering in the St. Mary’s Hospital emergency room when she encountered and comforted an elderly woman who was homeless, physically ill and struggling with a psychotic episode.
“She broke my heart and I couldn't believe that a person that vulnerable could be left outside alone to fend for herself [in Madison],” Fleming said. “I knew then that Madison was a city with real city problems.”
That night inspired Fleming to involve herself in making rapid and effective change in the homeless community, eventually founding Friends of the State Street Family, an organization which provides basic care and resources for the more than 400 homeless citizens of Madison.
Each winter, she encounters homeless individuals spending nights outside in subzero and below-freezing temperatures.
“We end up seeing trench foot and missing toes from frostbite,” Fleming said. “It’s heartbreaking.”
Despite individual difficulties, Fleming explained many homeless individuals in Madison function as a family, bound together by the need to survive.
“I have seen people give their last dollar to someone else who they thought needed it more. There is something to be said for the generosity of that gesture,” she said.
According to Tyler O’Brien, a Madison Central Library outreach worker, the city of Madison is increasingly recognizing the importance and size of the community, as well as the lack of affordable and public housing.
As of now, the men’s shelter in Madison houses around 160 to 180 men in the winter season, whereas the woman’s facility has a capacity of 30 single women and a family capacity of 18, both of which have a 90-night limit for drop-in shelter use per person, according to O’Brien.
An exemption goes into effect on nights with wind chill of 20 degrees or colder, as well as in cases of other extreme weather conditions.
O’Brien said Madison is working to increase the availability of housing year-round by implementing the “housing-first” model and purchasing the Messner Inc. building, which will provide additional housing and services to homeless individuals. The housing-first approach functions on the premise that housing should be provided to homeless individuals before securing other services.
Still, the city is in dire need of outreach programs and “dual diagnosis” treatment centers for homeless individuals with addictions and other mental illnesses, according to O’Brien, who said people with addictions should not be penalized by being denied shelter.
According to Laura Wichert, another Central Library outreach worker, Madison should also encourage or help landlords to rent to homeless individuals.
“Many who are homeless have evictions, a low credit score and/or a criminal record, which makes many people reluctant to rent to them,” Wichert said.
Part of Central Library outreach involves “street outreach,” through which O’Brien and Wichert provide personal hygiene items and articles of clothing to help keep people warm throughout harsh Midwestern winters.
Sometimes they just offer a friendly face and a listening ear for those who need to share their struggles or successes.
Street outreach is one of the most important actions of her organization, according to Teri Coates, the president and founder of the volunteer organization Madison Helping Hands.
“It gives us the chance to spend time with those living outdoors, learn about them, hear their stories, and it gives us ways that we can help them or direct them to services available to get them what they need,” she said.
Often, street outreach helps members form relationships with homeless individuals, who would normally be hindered by trust and confinement issues. These members usually assist with completing paperwork, visiting agencies or seeking out resources they need.
However, Coates said the emotional investment of street outreach makes winter difficult for Helping Hands members as well.
“They become part of your family and your life as a whole, and so when it is inclement weather or when they are having difficulties it weighs very heavily on your mind and your heart,” she explained.
The homeless community in Madison also differs from other notable cities, according to Coates. Though there may be a perception that much of the city’s homeless population comes from outside the area, Coates said most of Madison’s homeless people were raised or worked locally before experiencing homelessness, and have a strong feeling of belonging to the city.
Although Madison is working on affordable and public housing programs, Coates said people in Madison have become increasingly unfriendly to homeless people, whose attachment to the city makes their mistreatment more painful.
Fleming experienced this first-hand after trying a weekend on the streets herself in the summer of 2012 as part of an experience meant to simulate homelessness. She said several drunk students and young adults humiliated and assaulted her and her companions as they walked by.
“One threw an open beer can at my head, and two guys tried to urinate on us,” Fleming recounted. “No matter how tough a person is, living on the street is a hell on earth. The people who are out there are treated like human garbage, and they are people who are down on their luck.”
Coates and Fleming both encourage students and community members to be considerate of all of their neighbors.
“One of the biggest things I think that we can do as students or supporters is be kind. Some days they feel as though no one knows that they exist, that they are invisible or disposable,” Coates said. “There is no life commitment to saying ‘Hello.’ However, you may be the only one that took a moment to make that person feel seen and acknowledged as a human being all week.”
UPDATE: This story originally referred to Teri Coates as male, not female. The Daily Cardinal regrets this error.
