Thanks to the hard work of Steve Schooler, executive director of Porchlight, and many others, there will be a place for homeless people to escape the elements during the winter months. The City of Madison has agreed to make space available in a former auto dealership on E. Washington Ave. More on the story here and here.

As important as this development is, and as welcome it will be for those who need it, it will not be open until December 14 at the earliest, and it doesn’t solve the long-term problem of providing adequate facilities for homeless people in Madison.