Dane County held a virtual committee meeting discussing homelessness issues in Dane County on Monday focusing on the building of a new homeless shelter in Madison and the future of the Dairy Drive homeless encampment.
In 2025, nearly 800 people in Madison were reported as being homeless, which is a seven percent increase from 2024, according to an annual point-in-time survey.
In addition, the City of Madison’s new homeless shelter, a $27 million project, started construction in December 2023, and is scheduled for completion in December 2025, with an anticipated opening in spring 2026, according to City of Madison community development manager Linette Rhodes — who presented details of the shelter during the meeting…