Police officer in Wisconsin helps homeless family find home

MILWAUKEE, WI (KTRK) -- A homeless Milwaukee mom and her three children have a warm place to live this winter thanks to the efforts of a local police officer.

Milwaukee police officer Karla Lehmann heard about Latasha Hayward's plight: Hayward and her kids -- ages 9, 5 and 3 -- had to move out of a homeless shelter in order to make room for needier people.

Lehmann told station WISN she decided to help, but says she faced a number of surprising challenges.

Wendy Weckler, of Hope House in Milwaukee, said, "There's 67 units in Milwaukee for families, and there's about 200 families on the waiting list today."

With those roadblocks, some would give up, but Lehmann didn't. She turned to the online fund raising network GoFundMe.

She set a goal $5,000, giving $250 from her own pay check and pledging another $250.

The fund is now up to $4,575 -- enough for Hayward to rent a home.

Hayward said, "(Officer Lehmann) just wants the best for me and my kids. My kids love her dearly. And I love her as well. Without her I don't really know where I'd be right now."

Lehmann told station WISN, "I thought it would be easier to find resources and it turned out that it was very, very challenging. And so I wanted to make sure I did everything that I could to follow through with my word."