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Homeless count, nearly doubled from two years ago in La Crosse, troubling to Couleecap’s Kim Cable

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FILE - A tent with a tarp sits behind the Houska Park sign in La Crosse in late October of 2021. (PHOTO: Rick Solem)

The number of homeless people found in one night on the streets of La Crosse is disturbing to at least one local professional, who works with the unsheltered.

Cable

The most recent Point in Time count, taken on July 28, found 140 people living on the streets of La Crosse without shelter, according to Kim Cable, Housing & Community Services director at Couleecap, Inc.

That group takes a census of homeless people in La Crosse one night during the summer and another in the winter.

Cable, who also serves on the La Crosse County Board, told the board that she has never seen the local number of unsheltered this high.

Two years ago, the July figure was 71, and the total was 57 a year earlier.

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.

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8 Comments

8 Comments

  1. Rabbi Brian Serle

    August 22, 2022 at 10:26 am

    I totally agree with Kim Cable that it is tragic that the number of homeless has increased here. The article doesn’t address “why” we have more homeless on our streets. Part of the issue, of course, is the lack of low income and subsidized housing. Some of the temporary residents of Houska Park were recently released from jail, and have nowhere else to go. I have worked with them at the Jail Ministry. Many of them don’t know of the services provided by Project Proven at WTC and other programs that help people find jobs and housing in our city. As you know, our local employers – Kwik Trip, Target, etc. – are desperate for employees right now. Some of them are more than willing to work with someone with a record, especially if sponsored by an agency or charitable organization. Let’s do something to help these folks get off the streets before winter sets in!

  2. S. Thompson

    August 22, 2022 at 10:56 am

    Is there a chance that homeless people are moving to La Crosse because La Crosse is going above and beyond what other towns are doing for the homeless population?

  3. Jay

    August 23, 2022 at 5:00 am

    Free food free housing free electric free medical free crack pipes no responsibilities whatsoever free to use drugs out in the open Riverside frontage property to look at no consequences for any crimes committed and the list goes on and on and on and on and in the meantime the rest of the community has to pay the price whether it’s through being stole from whether it’s through violent acts committed against them whether it’s through limitations on where they can bring their kids because they obviously can’t bring them to the park no consequences for not having a job no consequences for drug use no consequences for crime no consequences for anything and that’s exactly what the city leadership wants this was all done by design so anybody out there wondering how did this happen look to your city officials they did this on purpose this was actually a plan

  4. Jay

    August 23, 2022 at 5:02 am

    Democrat leadership is responsible for this

  5. Nyhus Schaffer

    August 23, 2022 at 8:18 am

    Questions for discussion.

    Why do you think that La crosse’s homeless population is rapidly growing.

    Is it too easy to be homeless in La Crosse?

  6. Robert harvey

    August 23, 2022 at 9:00 am

    Why can’t people living here at least keep the place clean and kept up like weed walking around there tents???

  7. Rhead

    August 23, 2022 at 12:17 pm

    More homeless looks like Mitch had to get more hotel rooms . Go figure

    • M. Every

      August 23, 2022 at 5:36 pm

      Free hotel room with cleaning services. Sign me up.

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