Conversation ➡ Collaboration ➡ Action
On June 17 & 18, 2026 more than 175 community leaders, elected officials, business leaders, healthcare professionals, faith leaders, service providers, and interested residents participated in the Community Conversations with James Mathy, Housing Administrator for Milwaukee County and a featured expert in Beyond the Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness. The turnout demonstrates extraordinary community interest in addressing homelessness in Greater Lafayette.
James Mathy, whose work in Milwaukee helped reduce homelessness by 45 percent, delivered presentations that were professional, relevant, practical, and inspiring. Thanks to his expertise, candor, and generosity with his time, our community was able to engage in meaningful, honest, and productive conversations that would not have been possible otherwise. We were also fortunate to have Don Sawyer, co-creator of Beyond the Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness, with us throughout the visit, providing valuable insight and encouragement. During his visit, Mathy shared practical lessons, proven strategies, and insights on how communities can work together to prevent and end homelessness.
On Thursday, November 13, 2025, more than 350 community members gathered for the screening of Beyond the Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness—and the response was extraordinary. It was a powerful an afternoon of film, conversation, and solutions-focused dialogue on homelessness in Greater Lafayette.
This event featured a screening of the powerful documentary Beyond the Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness by Don Sawyer, Director & Producer, and Tim Hashko, Producer, who also shared remarks following the screening about the solutions highlighted in the documentary. More than a film, this was the start of a movement.
After viewing the film, Beyond the Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness, the room was electric, filled with energy and hope from faith leaders, university leaders, business leaders, social and healthcare providers, and law and judicial professionals, including Magistrate Sarah Wyatt, Representatives Chris Campbell and Sheila Klinker, Senator Spencer Deery, and Mayors Erin Easter and Tony Roswarski.
What's Next? Moving From Conversation to Action
The next step is establishing a community-wide Housing Administrator whose job is to wake up every morning focused on one goal: ending homelessness in Greater Lafayette.
Leaders of the four local shelters have been working together and engaging community leaders and local government officials to explore the creation of a dedicated office to coordinate our community's response to homelessness. Rather than creating another layer of services, the goal is to bring greater coordination, accountability, and shared direction to the work already happening across our community.
Once established, the Housing Administrator would focus on three priorities:
1. Map the System
Take a comprehensive look at how our community currently responds to homelessness, including programs, policies, funding, referral processes, available data, and the experiences of people trying to navigate the system. Understand what is working, what isn't, and where people are falling through the cracks.
2. Align Around Solutions
Bring organizations, local government, service providers, and community partners together to identify gaps, reduce duplication, improve coordination, and build shared practices grounded in Housing First principles. The goal is not simply to help organizations work harder, but to help the entire system work better.
3. Act, Measure, and Improve
Turn findings into meaningful action, establish shared goals, and measure progress based on outcomes that matter: preventing homelessness, helping people secure housing more quickly, and supporting long-term housing stability.
This work is about more than adding programs or expanding shelter capacity. It is about building a community where homelessness is rare, brief, and nonrecurring.
As this initiative moves forward, we will share updates, findings, milestones, and opportunities for community involvement right here.
