Green Bay, WI — In the wake of the closure of NEWCAP and the growing risk of housing loss for families across Northeast Wisconsin, State Representative Amaad Rivera-Wagner is calling for immediate federal action to protect vulnerable residents, alongside increased state-level transparency to prevent similar crises in the future. The shutdown of NEWCAP, a longtime provider of housing assistance and anti-poverty services, has placed nearly 100 households at risk of losing stable housing, including 84 in Brown County alone. Many of these individuals had previously experienced homelessness and relied on federally funded programs to regain stability.
Rivera-Wagner warned that without swift intervention to transfer federal housing funds to qualified local providers, families who have done nothing wrong could lose their homes due to administrative delays and decisions beyond their control. “Hold the wrongdoer accountable. Don’t evict the victims,” said Rep. Rivera-Wagner. “It is already hard enough to struggle. We know how hard it is to outwork a broken system,” he said. “If doing everything right still ends in losing your home, the problem isn’t the people. It’s the system.”
Local nonprofit organizations have already stepped forward and are prepared to take over housing services immediately. However, delays in approving the transfer of federal funds are preventing those transitions from happening in time to protect families. “This is not about a lack of solutions,” Rivera-Wagner said. “Our community is ready. The providers are ready. The only thing standing in the way right now is a failure to act with urgency.”
Rivera-Wagner is also calling on the Wisconsin Department of Administration to strengthen transparency and oversight for nonprofit organizations that receive public funding. In a letter sent this week, he requested a review of whether corrective actions, compliance concerns, or financial warnings tied to publicly funded nonprofits are being properly disclosed to governing boards and made available to the public. “When public dollars are involved, transparency is not optional. It is essential,” Rivera-Wagner said. “We need to make sure that warning signs are not missed and that accountability happens early, not after families are put at risk.”
Rivera-Wagner emphasized that accountability and immediate action to protect families should not be in conflict. “Ensuring these funds are transferred and holding leadership accountable should not be opposing forces. That should be the easy part,” he said. “We can do both. We must do both. At a time when people are losing faith and trust in government, this is our moment to show that government can be a force for good,” he added. “Not political theatre. Not delay. Real action that keeps people in their homes.”
Rivera-Wagner has called on federal officials to expedite the approval of grant transfers, release delayed housing funds, and take all necessary administrative action to prevent disruption of services. He is also working with local and state partners to ensure continuity of care for affected families. “In Green Bay, we take care of each other. Our community is stepping up, like we always do,” Rivera-Wagner said. “Now we need our partners in government to do the same. At the end of the day, we cannot allow political theatre or bureaucratic delay to push families back into homelessness,” he added. “These are our neighbors. They did everything right. We cannot fail them.”
