Anthony Washington, 57, sits in his room at The Family House in Milwaukee. Washington is among four other tenants living at the six-bedroom home that was established by Table of the Saints Inc. to assist those who were previously incarcerated help transition back into the community and family life. Angela Peterson / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Anthony Washington neatly tucks in his bedspread and tidies up his sparse bedroom at The Family House in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood.
The duplex on North Booth Street houses men who were formerly incarcerated and gives them a chance to get back on their feet by taking care of their most essential need after release: housing.
People who were formerly incarcerated are nearly 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general public, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, a nonprofit organization that researches incarceration. The homelessness rates are worse for people of color, particularly Blacks, regardless of gender, the organization has found.
The crisis intensifies every Tuesday, when prisons in Wisconsin typically release inmates who have completed their sentences. Many can't go back to the home they once knew; family members may have died or moved, or living situations may be inappropriate given their vulnerability. Add to that the dearth of affordable apartments and the reluctance of landlords to accept former offenders, and ex-inmates can feel cornered.
Washington, 57, has stayed at The Family House in the past. This time around, he's just in his third day.
He and some apartment roommates had planned to move to a new location, but the deal fell through and they couldn't go back to their old place.
“If it wasn’t for The Family House, I would probably be homeless,” Washington said.
The duplex blends into the neighborhood. Tenants are responsible for maintenance and upkeep. There are three bedrooms on the first floor and three on the second. Walls are decorated with framed photos of some of the men who have lived there.
There is a common kitchen area with a walk-in pantry and staple items like peanut butter, pasta and coffee. Taped to the kitchen door are the rules of the house. No alcohol or drugs, and residents are subject to random drug tests. No threats or acts of violence. No smoking. No overnight guests. No borrowing money from other residents. No entering another person’s room without their permission.
“Everything in my room is mine,” Washington said.
Residents must test negative for COVID-19 or be vaccinated. Sex offenders are not allowed.
Homelessness is a chronic problem
The Family House has its roots in a Bible study group formed in 2007 in the Felmers O. Chaney Correctional Center. William Harrell and his cellmate, Charles Hampton, used scripture to change the trajectory of their lives. Harrell had the idea of someday addressing housing for the formerly incarcerated.
The group called itself Assembly of the Saints. As participants were released from prison, they continued meeting weekly in the basement of Rehoboth Miracle Temple Church, 2804 N. 29th St., around a big wooden table.
"When I was released in October 2009, and I saw the table, we knew we had to change the name to Table of the Saints," Harrell said.
That led to the founding of Table of the Saints Inc., a nonprofit organization focused on helping previously incarcerated men and women make a positive re-entry into their community. In addition to helping find housing, the group assists with everything from getting a driver’s license to addressing mental health needs — all in service of restoring life skills through what the organization calls "Christ-centered aftercare."
“All of these issues are important, but the number one issue is housing,” said Harrell, 67, property manager of The Family House.
Few prisoners have a loving family waiting for them, and sometimes, for legal reasons, ex-prisoners cannot go back to the place that was once their home, Harrell said.
“Too many of those who are released end up in homeless shelters, and some just end up outdoors, and we know that there are just so many beds available in the shelters anyway,” Harrell said.
A safe and affordable place is necessary, Harrell said.
The North Booth Street house was donated to Table of the Saints by Maureen Kilgore-Marx, in honor of her late husband Larry Kilgore, who mentored former prisoners. A second residence, The Kelly House on North Phillips Avenue, will open later this year. It's a multi-bedroom apartment on the second floor of a building. Its name honors John Kelly, a schoolteacher who died in 2015; a portion of his estate was used for furnishings.
To be admitted to either house, candidates are interviewed and undergo a vetting process. Residents pay between $400 and $500 a month for rent, with a $300 security deposit.
“They don’t live for free. We are not a rescue mission and we want to work with people who want to help themselves,” Harrell said. “We find that individuals who work the hardest are the most successful.”
Washington said the expectations and rules provide stability.
“It’s not just a house to lay your head," he said. "It’s all the other things that go along with it. I meet with people and talk about my goals and how to reach them. They want you to be better than when you got here."
'We don't turn our back on you'
Washington's mother died when he was 13, and, he said, he grew up in the foster care system and was abused.
“I fell through the holes of the system, and when I caught a burglary charge, I got sent to a group home and I never got the treatment I needed,” he said.
Washington has been in an out of prison for years, for burglary and habitual criminality. Ultimately, he was diagnosed with schizoaffective bipolar disorder, he said, which can lead to bouts of depression and anxiety. To cope, he keeps a daily logbook.
The day he was tidying up his room, he said he was suffering from a “spiritual anxiety crisis.” His hands were shaking and he felt nervous.
“Sometimes, I wake up and I don’t feel like nothing. I don’t feel like life is worth living," he said.
After a meeting with members from Table of the Saints, he said he felt better.
“When you have a mental health disorder that is difficult to treat, you need support from people who will not abandon you, and one thing about Table of the Saints, they have never abandoned me,” he said.
When Washington stayed at the duplex on another occasion, he moved out once he felt he was stable enough. When things didn’t work out, he moved back.
Then he suffered a drug relapse and checked himself into a drug and rehab facility.
He wondered what would happen to his items.
Sharon McMurray, executive director of Table of the Saints, had his items placed in storage, and told Washington when he was ready, he could come back.
“We don’t turn our back on you because you have a misstep," she said. "We know people make mistakes and we want to do our best to help them and not punish them.”
Not perfect but better than most
Bobby Ryan has been in the residence for four months. His criminal history and felonies made it all but impossible to find housing.
He works at Goodwill Industries as a price setter.
“If you don’t have a renter’s history and (have) a felony, nobody is going to rent to you,” Ryan said.
Ryan said the home reminded him of his grandmother’s house.
“Things are organized and clean. I’ve been here four months and I’ve never seen a bug in it. This is the house of God,” he said.
The house does have some issues. The stove is on the fritz and there are other things that don’t work, Ryan said.
“This is what you get with an old house,” he said. “But I will tell you this, you won’t find anything better if you have a felony.”
Ryan, 53, who was an addict for 35 years, said he has been in and out of prison 16 times.
“I’ve never in my life had more than two months on the streets since I was 17. I’ve just celebrated my eighth month being out, and a lot of that is due to The Family House,” he said.
With the stove out, men in the house on a recent warmer day decided to cook on a grill outside.
As they sat in chairs around the grill, they shared stories of their incarcerations, and the ways they deal with life after prison.
Ryan uses art. Washington, his journals.
One thing that helps ease their minds, they agreed, is not worrying about a place to stay.
As a result, they believe that it places them one step closer to being whole again.
The Family House is accepting donations of clean linen, appliances, laundry detergent; new or gently used men’s clothing and underwear. To donate call (414) 374-8029, or email tableofthesaints2009@gmail.com
