Family & Home

City council committee votes down homeless shelter plan

Published

4 years ago

September 1, 2020

For the second straight night, La Crosse city leaders have voted against the idea of setting up a resource center for the homeless near downtown La Crosse.

A Tuesday night vote by the council judiciary committee followed similar action taken Monday by the city plan commission.

Catholic Charities has withdrawn its proposal for opening a center on 5th Avenue South, before the council committee voted not to approve the project.

Several neighbors spoke against the project at another city meeting Monday night, and council member Scott Neumeister says the city should show that it is listening.

The Washburn neighborhood association says it’s not interested in talking any further with Catholic Charities about the project, which neighbors worry would make their area unsafe.

Council member Gary Padesky compares this situation with the uproar two years ago, over putting a home for veterans on Farnam Street, saying he doesn’t know of any veterans who have moved into that house.

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.