Family & Home
La Crosse city, county governments working on homelessness
What are local governments supposed to do about homelessness?
City and county officials in La Crosse are working on the problems affecting unsheltered people.
They have a planning meeting scheduled for June 6 to discuss possible action.
La Crosse County administrator Jane Klekamp on WIZM’s La Crosse Talk PM this week said she sees homeless people in downtown parks every day.
“The county is in no way trying to ignore the issue,” Klekamp said. “I think we are working hard with the city and community organizations, to try and figure out what we can do to help alleviate some of it.
“It’s a very challenging issue. Obviously, if it was easy to fix, it would have been fixed a long time ago.”
The planning meeting comes after people showed up at a city Parks Board meeting, asking the government to do something about the homeless in area parks.
Klekamp said the latest estimate of homeless people in La Crosse is around 80 individuals.
The county also has provided funding to groups in town that work with the homeless to begin purchasing properties for bridge housing that will help people get into temporary shelter until they can afford something more permanent.
The city and county also teamed up to launch what’s called the Eviction Defense Program, to try and pre-empt homelessness.
It’s designed to provide legal help to renters who are threatened with being evicted.
Legal Action of Wisconsin will get funding from the city of La Crosse and the county, along with the La Crosse Community Foundation, to pay for attorneys to represent clients in court to avoid eviction.
The La Crosse County Board voted two years ago to launch the program but starting the program was delayed by staffing shortages.
County Board chair Monica Kruse hopes the program will prevent families from becoming homeless, which could lead to people missing work or school and developing health problems.
Rhead
May 25, 2023 at 7:34 am
Arrest them for vagrancy put them in jail??? 3 hot and cot. When are you people going to wake up. These people will go away when you stop treating them as normal. Stop being a stupid . Just remember we are laughing at you not with you!!!!
Kent
May 25, 2023 at 1:04 pm
Public INTOXICATION and
DRUG USEAGE IS AGAINST THE LAW. LOCK THEM UP
Kent
May 25, 2023 at 1:06 pm
Public INTOXICATION and
DRUG USEAGE IS AGAINST THE LAW. LOCK THEM UP now OR HAVE THEM STAY WITH THE MAYOR ANDCOUNTY BOARD MEMBERS
david greener
May 26, 2023 at 5:07 am
A couple of years ago the city estimated the homeless population at around 200. Why the huge reduction since then? The only thing thats different is no Huska park. So if the new estimate is accurate (which I highly doubt) maybe if you dont make it easy for them to live here they wont.
LE ANNE MARTINEZ
May 26, 2023 at 8:42 pm
You all that are making such negative comments…you have no idea what it is like to walk in their shoes. These people are human beings the same as you & I. They are afforded the same basic human rights to a home, food, clothing, medical care, the same as you and I. Until you have lived the life of homelessness, Mental Health & or substance use….It is no life believe me!! Walk in their shoes…is truly when you can say you understand!!! Stop by say HI, listen to them share with you what this life..they are livin is like. Im sure its a far cry from where you are at. You will meet some very friendly souls. Ask if they need something. ..Empathize..help out…Volunteer. be a part of the solution…not the problem!!