As the City of Milwaukee’s poverty rate hovers at nearly 30%, the demand for emergency shelter for women and families continues. The Cathedral Center addresses this issue by providing a safe environment for women and families while working to end homelessness, one life at a time.

The Cathedral Center offers emergency shelter and case management services for women and families who are homeless or experiencing a housing crisis. We target a population that is particularly vulnerable to victimization and are one of the only agencies in Milwaukee that serves individual women and single fathers with their children. Our shelter model enables us to keep nuclear families intact, regardless of size or gender.

To help women and families manage the complex issues surrounding living in poverty, we work with people before, during and after a shelter stay to ensure a safe transition to permanent housing. Clients in need of emergency shelter have access to a safe, supportive environment that meets all of their basic needs in addition to comprehensive case management services designed to foster self-reliance. We also offer community case management services to women and families who are in jeopardy of losing their home, but who are not yet homeless. This prevention program helps many avoid a shelter stay altogether, or at the very least, reduce the amount of time spent in emergency shelter.

The Cathedral Center transitions an average of 85% of our clients from homelessness to safe housing each year. But we understand that homelessness is a shared issue—and that it is only through a collective effort that we can achieve our mission. That is why we are so proud to work with generous partners who support our efforts to nurture a strong community that offers a healthy, stable quality of life for all.