Shelter Committee urges campaign for thousands of supportive homes; Metro Legal warns council cannot solicit donations

Jonathan Rizzo, a Madison small-business owner and shelter-committee volunteer, presented a formal letter asking the Homelessness Planning Council to "organize a campaign to raise sufficient funding to create and preserve a minimum of 2,500 units of permanent supportive housing" and later to pursue 10,000 units to address the Section 8 waiting list. "We ask the HPC to organize a campaign to raise sufficient funding, to create and preserve a minimum of 2,500 units of permanent supportive housing," Rizzo read to the council.

During the ensuing discussion Metro Legal cautioned that the council does not have authority to solicit charitable contributions directly. A Metro Legal representative cited federal and local frameworks and advised that direct fundraising by a government council could create conflicts with charitable nonprofits and open-meetings consequences. "I regret having to give that advice," the Metro Legal representative said, "but that is my advice that it would not be recommendation that you pursue yourselves as being a fundraising entity through charitable contributions." (Metro Legal identified the regulatory framework in 24 CFR part 578 in its advice.)

Council members and public commenters responded by urging practical next steps short of direct solicitation. Several speakers recommended routing the idea through existing charitable partners and the planning department’s housing division, including contacting the mayor’s housing division and United Way or marshaling existing faith-based networks (OpenTable and others) for an externally led campaign. Angie Hubbard (housing division, planning department) and other council members suggested presenting the proposal to the housing division and local philanthropic networks for concrete pathways to leverage private and nonprofit resources.

The council did not take a formal action on the letter at the meeting. Members noted they will continue work on a proposed permanent-housing committee and a standards-of-care process that would help define roles and potential partnerships for implementation. Rizzo said he is available to present his fundraising plan to any appropriate body for review.

The discussion clarified the difference between "organizing" a campaign (which some speakers framed as coalition-building and strategy) and directly soliciting funds (which Metro Legal said the council should avoid). The council will pursue a clearer description of the proposed committee and next steps before any formal appointments or solicitations.