PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. — Charities in Ozaukee County continue to work against a shortage of affordable housing in the area.
Joana Hemschemeyer works for the local chapter of Family Promise, an organization working to combat housing insecurity in the area, even among professions like teaching and firemen.
Watch: Charities combat Ozaukee's affordable housing shortage driving up rent prices:
"The workers who are living here in Ozaukee County can't afford to live here," Hemschemeyer said.
Family Promise operates a shelter outside of downtown Port Washington. The organization works directly with landlords to help individuals and working families find homes, particularly those who have experienced setbacks like job loss, medical debt, car accidents or criminal records.
But that task has become increasingly difficult in recent years, with a shortage of supply pushing prices upward, leaving many in those situations without housing.
"When [landlords] post an opening for an apartment, within an hour, they get over a hundred phone calls from people who are looking," Hemschemeyer said.
According to Hemschemeyer, the vacancy rate in Ozaukee County is approximately 4.3%, almost three percentage points lower than the national rate of 7.1%.
For those with additional barriers like criminal records, finding housing can be very difficult. JenAnn Bauer experienced this firsthand after she got out of prison in 2018 for three counts of robbery with threat of force from a pharmacy.
"No one would rent to me," Bauer said. "How do you start all over without a safe place, a roof over your head?"
Family Promise provided Bauer shelter for three months and helped her secure an apartment where she still lives today. She now works full time at the organization's shelter in Port Washington.
"Although it sucked that I went to prison, I found my voice, and I won't be quiet," Bauer said. "I don't know where I would be if not for the Family Promise organization."
Family Promise is advocating for a countywide housing study to help increase awareness and develop solutions.
"It's not just people who are on the street corner doing drugs or pushing a shopping cart that you see in the bigger cities. These are people who are just one paycheck away from losing their housing," Hemschemeyer said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story referred to JenAnn Bauer "being released from prison for minor drug offenses." It has been updated to identify the specific crime she was charged with.
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