The State Shelter Subsidy Grant (SSSG) program provides operation funds to emergency shelter and motel voucher programs that have additional funding needs due to the renovation/expansion of an existing shelter facility, the development of an existing building into a shelter facility, the expansion (or development) of shelter services, and/or the inability of a shelter program to obtain adequate funding to continue to provide an existing level of service. Grants are limited to no more than fifty percent (50%) of a shelter program's total operating budget.
Eligibility
A county or municipal governing body or agency, a community action agency, or other private non-profit or for-profit organization in Wisconsin are eligible to apply. Only an applicant agency's general emergency shelter and/or motel voucher program can utilize SSSG funding. Domestic violence shelters and shelters for runaways are not eligible to receive SSSG funding.
Funding
The annual state appropriation of SSSG funding is shared amongst Dane County, Milwaukee County, and the Balance of State service areas. Grant amounts may be supplemented by the Interest Bearing Real Estate Trust Account (IBRETA) funds, if available.
For Dane and Milwaukee counties, one local shelter or service provider must be designated as the lead agency. The lead agency is responsible for collecting and submitting applications on behalf of all participating shelter programs in the county, who then work together to develop a plan for distributing funds. The grant awarded to the lead agency may not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the participating shelters' programs combined total operating budgets.
Shelter programs that reside within the Balance of State's service areas may apply directly to DEHCR for a grant, or collaborate with other agencies and designate a lead agency. Funding amounts are based on an applicant agency's ability to meet certain criteria as enacted in state statute, the number of shelter nights provided, and adhering to the minimum award thresholds designated in state statute (Dane and Milwaukee counties).
The grant application cycle for this program begins in early/late fall, when notices of SSSG funding availability are posted to the website and sent to current SSSG grantees. The SSSG contract's performance period starts on January 1st and ends on December 31st of the following year.
SSSG Application
The next SSSG application period for agencies to apply will be available in fall 2025.
Program Forms
SSSG Client File Checklist
SSSG Monitoring Questionnaire
Reference Materials
Wis. Stats. § 16.308
Wis. Admin. Code Ch. Adm 86
Webinar
SSSG All-Grantee Meeting
Contact Information
If an individual and/or household is in need of emergency shelter, please go to DEHCR's main webpage for a list of resources located by county.
SSSG Program Manager - Dana Wallace
Telephone: (608) 261-7013
Mailing Address: Department of Administration
Division of Energy, Housing and Community Resources
P.O. Box 7970
Madison, WI 53707-7970
