Homelessness remains a vexing problem for City Hall

Is it the most vexing problem City Hall has faced? You’d think so, given the amount of time and resources the city of La Crosse has put into trying to solve the problem of homelessness. And they’re still at it. After trying unsuccessfully to buy local buildings to house the unsheltered, the city paid to put them up in a local hotel, then let them camp out in Houska Park, which they turned into a garbage dump. Then the city foot the bill for the homeless to live in a local hotel. Now many of the homeless have taken to living in several downtown parking ramps and parks. The city is debating whether to essentially kick them out of the parks by declaring them to be no camping areas. But they can’t even seem to agree on that. The Judiciary Committee held a vote earlier this week on rules for camping in city parks, but essentially deadlocked and has forwarded the legislation to the full council without a recommendation whether it be approved. So is the answer to provide resources to the homeless and risk attracting more homeless, or is it to essentially run them out of town? Even after all these years, City Hall still can’t seem to decide.