Dane County opened its first purpose-built men’s shelter on Sept. 1 on Bartillon Drive, offering more shelter spaces designed to give unhoused men a more stable place to stay while they work toward permanent housing.
The men’s shelter is a city owned building but will be operated by Porchlight Inc., a Madison non-profit homelessness organization founded in 2003. It is housing-focused, providing men who stay there with access to programs to find permanent housing. Unlike temporary shelters that require guests to leave after a short stay or operate only during limited hours, the new shelter has no maximum length stay for guests.
The shelter requires men to be above 18 years of age in order to stay there…