Local residents may be left out in cold The Brown County Housing Authority is at maximum capacity By Monique Balas News-Chronicle For hundreds of low-income Brown County residents, the phrase "being left out in the cold," especially on a day like Wednesday, has become a chilling reality. For the first time in its 28-year existence, the Brown County Housing Authority has reached capacity in its ability to connect residents with Section 8 Housing, the federally funded housing assistance distributed locally by BCHA in conjunction with Integrated Community Services, a nonprofit organization that provides information on housing, jobs and medical assistance. "Brown County has a sizable program," said Keith Pamperin, housing administrator of BCHA. "We have the ability to serve 3,240 households. On a per-capita basis that's the largest program in Wisconsin. But we have reached our maximum capacity." About 1,100 households eligible for housing are waiting for assistance, Pamperin said, and calls seeking help come in on a daily basis. There are simply not enough dollars to fund additional housing, so those who apply must wait significantly longer to get housing, he said. In the past, it would take between three and six months to find decent low-income housing. People can now expect to wait six to nine months, Pamperin said. Since the federal government is tightening its purse strings, BCHA can't get more assistance, said Jon Syndergaard, president of ICS. "The dollars are being refocused," Syndergaard said. "Human Services in general is receiving a little different priority than they have in the past." The poor economy is driving an ever-increasing amount of people to apply for housing. In December, 274 households applied for Section 8 housing in Brown County. In January, 412 households applied, an increase of nearly 100 over last year's applicants during that month. To qualify for Section 8, households must make 50 percent of the county median income for a similar-sized household, said Rosemary Jonas, a housing and occupancy services manager at ICS. In many cases, they make far below that. "Most of our applicants are making 30 percent or less than the Brown County median income," Jonas said. "These are people without a lot of options." In the meantime, people who need help should look for assistance from as many organizations as they can, said Tamara Campbell of ICS. "We're trying to encourage clients to utilize housing assistance but also utilize other community services, because that frees up the dollars that they can allocate for housing," Campbell said. FYI: Residents who need immediate housing can contact: The Family Violence Center at Golden House, 435-0100; Freedom House, 432-4646; Salvation Army/Ozanam House, 497-7053; New Community Shelter, 437-3766.