Quick Facts: Wisconsin

• Law & Policy: 54% of metrics met
   

  • Laws authorizing comprehensive supports and services for youth experiencing homelessness: 33% of metrics met 
     

  • Preventing youth experiencing homelessness from coming into contact with the criminal and juvenile justice systems: 52% of metrics met 
     

  • Providing unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness the opportunity to seek legal independence and live independently: 88% of metrics met
     

  • Addressing the educational needs of youth experiencing homelessness: 17% of metrics met 
     

  • Allowing youth experiencing homelessness to access critical supports and services: 67% of metrics met 
     

• Systems: 94% of metrics met 
   

• Environment: 24% of metrics met

State Score 2020: 56

State Ranking 2020: 16

Wisconsin Highlights

Wisconsin has moved the needle relative to other states in allowing youth experiencing homelessness access to critical supports and services and building systems to comprehensively address homelessness.

Law & Policy

• The state gives minors contract rights OR allows them to enter into binding contracts for certain purposes (e.g. necessities).

• The state explicitly allows unaccompanied youth under 18 to apply for health insurance coverage (without parental consent).

• The state allows shelters to take in homeless youth with a delay or waiver of notification requirements.

• The state doesn’t consider running away a criminal offense.

Systems​​

• There is a state entity (Office of homeless youth services, homeless youth state coordinator, commission on homeless youth, etc.) that focuses solely on youth homelessness.

• There is a current state plan to end homelessness.

  • The state plan has a "youth" component.

Environment

• The state maintains a community advisory board for youth that informs youth homelessness policy.

Recommendations for Improvement

There is room for improvement throughout the metrics for the Badger State, with emphasis on the Law & Policy and Environment categories. Laws authorizing comprehensive supports and services for youth experiencing homelessness and protecting the rights and interests of LGBTQ youth should be prioritized.

Law & Policy

• The state should explicitly allow partial and alternative school credit accrual for homeless youth through regulations.

• The state should pass a law that funds and provides oversight and regulation to youth homelessness services.

Systems

• The state should provide public college tuition waivers to youth who were in foster care anytime after their 13th birthday.

Environment

• The state should require training about sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, healthy sexual development or issues specific to LGBTQ+ youth for staff working in RHY Systems.

• The state should establish nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ youth in youth homelessness services.