Guest House of Milwaukee

Our mission is to provide shelter, housing, education, and services to Milwaukee's homeless who seek to transform their lives with dignity and purpose.

Since first opening our doors to offer short-term emergency shelter in 1982, Guest House of Milwaukee has grown to provide a full continuum of onsite and community-based programs to address the complex and evolving needs of individuals experiencing homelessness - touching nearly 2,000 lives each year. Rooted in our commitment to serving Milwaukee’s atrisk and marginalized populations with understanding and compassion, Guest House has a long history of successfully supporting those with even the most challenging barriers to regaining, and maintaining, independence.

PROGRAMS & SERVICES
ONSITE: Guest House's main location serves up to 86 men at capacity in our shelter programs.
HOUSING: Aligned with the Housing First model, Guest House supports ~ 450 individuals and families obtain stable housing through an array of short- and long-term solutions for exiting homelessness. 
CLINICAL: Guest House's outpatient Counseling Clinic delivers trauma-informed, responsive mental health and substance abuse services to clients at Guest House and from the surrounding communities. 
CASE MANAGEMENT: Guest House provides dignity-based, individualized case management services to ensure program clients have access to the resources necessary to succeed.

OUTCOMES-BASED APPROACH
Provide advocacy, placement and stabilization services to individuals experiencing homelessness.
Reduce the recurrence of multiple shelter stays for clients who have experienced either temporary or chronic homelessness.
Improve access to comprehensive behavioral health services for program clients and individuals from neighboring communities.
Increase the recovery rate from drug and alcohol abuse among our client populations, leading to long-term sobriety and stability.
Empower clients to set and achieve personal goals, increasing their likelihood of earning a living wage and securing permanent housing.

A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT
Volunteers, donors, and community partners play a vital role in sustaining Guest House's programs. We provide a number of meaningful and impactful ways for supporters to engage with our mission:
Donation Drives: ensuring shelter and housing clients have access to essential items.
Volunteer Meal Program: preparing & serving dinner to our shelter residents 365 nights/year.
Community Sandwich Window: providing 300-400 sandwiches/day to the local community.
Cream City Gardens Project: growing & harvesting fresh produce in a true urban community space.

"Guest House gave me my sense of pride back. It gave me my dignity back. It gave me hope." -Former Guest House client

"Guest House means the world to me because it has re-opened the world to me. I am forever grateful." -Former Guest House client