Wisconsin

More than 300 homeless veterans in Wisconsin now have a place to call home. This is thanks to the Homeless Prevention Program at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center and its community-based outpatient clinics.WISN 12 News spoke to a veteran who was helped through this program. He hit rock bottom but is rebuilding his life.In 1976, at the age of 17, Glen Hauser was a recovery specialist with the U.S. Army.”I went out and recovered vehicles,” Hauser said. “Anything with wheels that broke down, we went and got.”Throughout the years, Hauser became a father of four. He had a good job as a courier with U.S. Bank and bought a house.”I lived in a 4,000-square-foot house. I was making in the six-figure marks,” he said.Then, things started to spiral. He got a divorce and had a heart attack at the age of 48. “They just did the 14th stent. And like I said, I’m clogged up and really clogged,” Hauser said.Before long, he was alone and renting a room in a mobile home from a stranger. And when things couldn’t get any worse, he was homeless.”I came home,” Hauser explained. “My stuff was outside or what was left of it. And so, I was living in my vehicle. In my case, it’s just circumstances. It wasn’t an addiction issue or anything like that. You know, it was just circumstances. I came home, and I was homeless.”After spending some time at tiny homes for vets in Racine, Hauser landed an apartment in West Allis through a rental assistance program for homeless veterans. The program is called HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing, HUD-VASH for short.”HUD-VASH allows veterans to get rent assistance and helps provide them access to affordable housing,” said Melissa Wiese, the acting program manager for the Homeless Prevention Program. “And also coordination services from the VA to help them maintain that housing.”It can take up to 10 months on a waiting list.”I got way lucky. I got a nice place. I’m really happy about it,” Hauser said.”Veterans deserve a home,” Wiese said. “There should be no stigma associated with that struggle.”The Milwaukee VA Medical Center’s goal for 2024 is to house 406 veterans in Wisconsin.As for Hauser, he is encouraging any vet out there to go to the Milwaukee VA and ask for help.Veterans experiencing homelessness or those who are at risk can call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838. Visit the VA Homeless Program website to learn more about housing initiatives.Click here for other programs for veterans.