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Update on homeless plan expected Monday to La Crosse County Board

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The La Crosse County Board is scheduled to get a report Monday night on local efforts to reduce homelessness.

City and county officials are expected to speak at the board’s 6 p.m. meeting, about their joint program called Pathways Home.

According to the county’s agenda homeless outreach efforts have increased to three times a week within the La Crosse city limits.

As of June 19, the total number of homeless in the city was 219 — 61 of which were unsheltered.

The Pathways Home effort was introduced in January with the goal of getting homelessness down to “functional zero” in the city.

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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34 Comments

34 Comments

  1. Nick

    July 8, 2024 at 5:32 am

    Waste of time

    • Paul Roden

      July 8, 2024 at 6:19 am

      Yep waste of time most of them do not want to pay rent and bills

    • Gb

      July 8, 2024 at 9:12 am

      Right I understand that people have mental issues and health issues but that doesn’t mean you do nothing and expect a hand out for not taking care of yourself and your environment get off your ass ????

      • Bridget Karl

        July 11, 2024 at 3:56 am

        I would say 87-95% of population USA, not only our city, county, state. In fact let’s go worldwide percentage is that high of those who have tried or use any sort of illicit “drug”. Please tell me I’m wrong! Show me I’m wrong! You won’t be able to.
        We have corruption going on in other ways so wrongfully onto people such as myself and every other person I’ve met in this area, both living in my homes (one I owned almost 18yrs) for 41 years and 6 years forced to live homeless, living in/out my car, various motels (La Crosse, Wi, WisDells, Wi., Madison, Wi, Winona, Mn., Rochester, Mn, Rockland, Il.), ppls homes, tent(s), etc.?. I have a TBI, Scoliosis, undiagnosed LS Hemiparesis, MH issues, AODA disorder/issues, Chronic PTSD & Anxiety, depression, ADHD, plus who knows hat next hopefully I’m healthier than I feel! I’m sleep deprived like no one could believe or imagine, seen delusional actions. Unable to function or focus correctly. Not able to get important tasks done because this town and everyone in it wants to see how much I can handle before going nutso! I’ve already been there! Get with the program!

    • Sam Hanson

      July 8, 2024 at 2:39 pm

      Agree!The majority chose to be homeless when they chose meth and other drugs…

    • Pam

      July 9, 2024 at 1:18 pm

      Wow some of these people lost there jobs and homes do to COVID 19 nasty people on this site who are not Christians are system is so corrupted it’s destroyed even religion it’s a sad world we become yeah we need to reach out and help the homeless that the system has done to them people are forgetting how they got there it’s not all about drugs and mental issues either it’s due to what’s happened our system has collapsed around us in some ways especially when it comes to humanity

  2. Mike Hundt

    July 8, 2024 at 5:42 am

    More “ideas” with ZERO results! Why don’t you get something done NOW? They could care less and do this only because they have to appease the locals.

  3. Michael hundt

    July 8, 2024 at 5:44 am

    More “ideas” with zero results!

  4. Dave

    July 8, 2024 at 7:33 am

    They all came from somewhere else, transport them back from where they came from. Live with a friend or relatives…or have them move to an empty warehouse there’s plenty in north Lacrosse near the Kwik trip facilities. Barrack style bunk beds etc. If they don’t like it and prefer to camp in nice, recreational areas where I use to enjoy being in then cite them like you would anyone else. Keep citing them until they just move out of town.

  5. R Head

    July 8, 2024 at 8:36 am

    The county is like the city throw more money at the problem. Fix the roads screw the homeless.

  6. Julie

    July 8, 2024 at 2:19 pm

    So far we lack a public pool and closed a library.. money should benefit all not just a few .

  7. Kent Porter

    July 8, 2024 at 2:24 pm

    HOW ABOUT A PATHWAY TO JAIL IF. THE HOMELESS ARE CAUGHT WITH METH. CRACK. HEROIN OR BEING DRUNK IN PUBLIC, THEN THEY CAN GET CLEANED UP AND HAVE A PAYHWAY TO JOBS AND QUIT SUCKING US ALL DRY CLEANING UP AFTER THEIR MESS !!!!!!!!!!!!! WATCH OUT FOR USED NEEDLES THEY ARE LEAVING THEM ON THE BIKE PATHS AND PARKS WHERE YOUR KIDS PLAY !!!!!!!!!!!!

    • Jason

      July 8, 2024 at 3:34 pm

      I say give them free meth and heroin. Let them take care of the problem themselves

    • Jeffrey Thompson

      July 8, 2024 at 6:27 pm

      Kent, Pathway to jail

  8. Carie

    July 8, 2024 at 3:02 pm

    How is jail the solution! It’s flooded these people need help with addiction and a better mind set that they can get a job and be part of the community again . A lot of these people struggle once they have been homeless to long they give up . U need to set up programs and stay on top . If these homeless don’t get the help that is provided , then. May be something else is a better souloution

    • Christina

      July 9, 2024 at 7:59 am

      ♥️♥️♥️♥️

    • Brian Grilley

      July 10, 2024 at 8:25 am

      Amen God bless you Need more people like you to help restore Humanity.????

    • Sp

      July 10, 2024 at 9:42 pm

      If you’re a bleeding heart, then go live with them. If you feel sorry for the worthless then go live with them

  9. Klariese Schwabe

    July 8, 2024 at 8:44 pm

    Nice that was super sick burn f*** them then no kidding if we didn’t pay taxes in this m*********** y’all be worse off than trash that you already are good luck with your lives straight up idiots

  10. James St.James

    July 9, 2024 at 1:11 am

    Alot of them need to get off drugs. However, if someone doesn’t see a problem, nobody can help them. I’ve lived here over 40 years and it’s a disappointment what this town has become. The people that refuse help should be locked up somewhere until they want help. The drugs are readily available everywhere. The chances of them getting off and staying off are very slim.

    • Sp

      July 10, 2024 at 10:22 pm

      I agree with you. I’ve lived in lacrosse. All my life. I am 68 years old. I have never ever seen homeless on the marsh trails that I used to play at when I was a kid and it’s really sad that you can’t go for a walk down in the marsh and not see garbage or homeless. Get them the hell out of here.

  11. JMB

    July 9, 2024 at 7:52 am

    I was homeless in lacrosse back in 2019. 4 years ago this August my husband died of endocarditis,a hole in his heart valve. I couldnt stay afloat. I applied for housing and it took a year for me to get approved and find a place that accepts coulee cap payments for rent. I didnt just sit there waiting for my life to change. I was proactive and advocated for myself. The homeless can’t expect these agencies to do the work for them. They provide the assistance. Thats why its called assistance. Once i got housed i went to rehab for my addiction,been clean now since may 2020. Im earning my independence. My progress is my gratitude to the housing 1st program at coulee cap.

    • Todd

      July 9, 2024 at 5:03 pm

      Such compassion, sheesh. If Biden can let in millions of illegals give them cash cards and put them up in 5 star hotels. Not to mention health care. I think we can offer and to our own citizens. You could use all their unclaimed stimulus checks to help finance the help.

    • Steve Poellinger

      July 10, 2024 at 8:25 am

      Give them a one way ticket to California.Get ’em out of here , let them mess up , california

    • Steve Poellinger

      July 10, 2024 at 8:28 am

      Give them a one way ticket to California. Let them mess up California, just get them the hell out of lacrosse.

    • Steve Poellinger

      July 10, 2024 at 10:02 pm

      There is 3 reasons they are homeless. Number one is they have drug issues number 2. They’re wanted by the law. Number 3, they have mental issues, all 3 of these issues can be taken care of but the worthless. Don’t want help, so let’s send him a one way ticket to California. And they can be whith
      the rest of the pigs.

  12. Thomas Luce

    July 10, 2024 at 4:31 am

    I worked hard all my life!saved when I could! Bought my 1st home for 10grand in 77! Sold for 26 grand in 79! Bought my 2nd home in 79 for 29,500! Continued working& saving & remodeled my home spending thousands of hours when my out of town jobs would end! Suffered thru a broken neck in 2places from work! Wi.congress took injured workers rights to sue thier employers ins.company that congress also demands all companies must have, for losses sustained from injuries! Or pain & suffering! I couldn’t believe those assholes did this to workers who pay the taxes in this country!! I lost tens of thousands of dollars & damn near my home!!I bought my grandfathers home from my Father who recieved it from my grandfather for $1! That was before your congress tool that promise away too! I continued working hard & saving as much as possible while taking care of Donna Richard’s & her daughter since she was 8yrs old! I had paid most of the mortgauges off by 1997! Then I fell 2&1/2 stories from a illeagle& incorrectly installed scaffolding by Stebins Engineering out of NY! I was working out of town as always repairing a huge digester for wausaw paper mill in Brokaw Wi.! Iwas hurt real bad with damaged hip& twisted& crushed spine! Dr’s sent me to DVR to learn another less physical demanding job if I went back to my job of 28yrs iwould be paralyzed or in a wheel chair by 60! The DVR refused to allow me to go back to school to learn a new set of skills! Wisconsin WC stopped sending me any help after 6 mo! The judge in wausaw set my WC hearing for 5yrs away!!?? To save my life I was forced to wait 5yrs to try and get the NY based company to reimburse my losses! Bye Goeff & Rhode did damn near NOTHING for me over the next 4&1/2 yrs!! I recieved NOTHING from this damn state to live on! After jacking my house up& having a basement dug i& the few I hired put a new basement under my home,redesigned the roof & rebuilt new a 16′ by 36′ kitchen & bathroom & laundry room with 3 sky lites & a 4season room attached!! Did the plumbing my self & had electric installed throughout! That’s when Donna Richard’s forged documents & turned them into Lacrosse Cnty court house! This document stated I gave my home of 20yrs to Donna K Richard’s for free + I’d continue to pay any monies still owed on mortgauge!! I was stunned,in shock! I couldn’t believe what she was doing to me!! I hired attorney Dennis Marcou to stop this horrible forged document from going anywhere!! Instead the no good asshole DA Told Dennis “it seemed like a personal problem to him!??? WHAT!? I shouted! It’s felony forgery& fraud” I replied to Dennis!! The only thing this damn county did was to Arrest me for trespassing on private property!! I owend that home & paid taxes& mortgauge out of my bank account for 20yrs! Years before I met Donna! We weren’t married! Hell,she despised & insulted every one in my family! From Arno Luce to my brothers& my Uncles Archie& Clair Luce! All this while I’m recovering from my broken body from the fall at work! With no Income from this crooked state WC! Nothing but grief from those I paid to help me all my working life!!Lacrosse County did everything it could to help Donna steal my home! Marcou did nothing to help me! His last words to me were ” The more money you give me the better your defense will be”! WHAT defense I shouted!? I didn’t do anything wrong!! My home was stolen & IVE BEEN HOMELESS EVER SINCE!! THE STATE OF WISCONSIN made sure I’d get nothing for all my losses,all my pain and my useless attorney Dean Rhode actually was crying in my ear about having to represent me in my court case fighting for my life!! He had made hundreds of thousands of dollars over the 4&1/2 years that damn judge made me wait!! I lost Everything!! And he was whining in my ear!! I held out as long as I could but my life was in ruins& my heart broken! Alone I finally gave up and let him settle out of court like he wanted! I was making 80,000/yr when I fell! + PENSION + ANNUITIES!! HE settled for 150,000 & took 80,000 of it for doing NOTHING! Now I’m crippled up,can’t walk,destroyed rt.hip living in misery& pain! Thanks LaCrosse court system! & congress for helping to destroy my hopes & dreams and my retirement years!

  13. Sp

    July 10, 2024 at 3:09 pm

    I think we should give them a one way ticket to California. That way.
    They could be with the rest of their kind pigs. Just get them the hell out of lacrosse, sick of seeing them can’t even go on the marsh trails without being hassled. My granddaughter won’t even go with anymore. That’s sad.

  14. Sp

    July 10, 2024 at 9:46 pm

    Give them a one way ticket to California and get the hell out of a cross. All you do is make pigstyes out of everywhere. You live nothing but a bunch of worthless. People that don’t pay taxes, no sympathy.

  15. Sp

    July 10, 2024 at 9:51 pm

    I would like to know why my comment is imposted

  16. Sp

    July 10, 2024 at 9:56 pm

    There are 3 things why these people are in the swamps and homeless one. They are wanted by the law, number 2. They have drug issues and number 3. They have mental issues. There is help for all 3 of these but none of them. Want help they want hand out, but not a hand up.It’s sad, but they are worth us.They don’t pay any taxes they just take and take

  17. Steve Poellinger

    July 10, 2024 at 9:57 pm

    There is no help for the worthless. Give them a one way tick to California.

  18. Matthew L Campbell

    July 11, 2024 at 7:51 am

    Shame on you guys you must not be Christians. I sure am happy none of you guys are in charge of anything everybody struggles not just a few and not all of them have drug problems but there are people who work very hard to help these struggling individuals with the problems that they have in their daily lives yes I would agree that some of them could use a dose of some hard reality. But but I guarantee you their struggle in one day is the struggle you go through in a week meaning the stress that they undergoing one day and is a stress that you would undergo on a week obviously your lives are a lot easier than theirs but they’re people the same as you and me and they deserve the same respect. I would just like to give a huge thank you to the people at the Reach center and Coulee Cap. Special thanks to people who go above and beyond like Mrs.Pollock and a special worker named Nicole for Coulee Camp. These people put their hearts and souls in their jobs and I wish the negativity of these people in their comments could see what some of these people go through on a daily basis

  19. Kristi

    September 1, 2024 at 7:35 pm

    For ALL you negative, mean, sickening people, where is your humanity? Homelessness could happen to anyone! A husband and wife get a divorce and one loses everything and ends up in the street, they have nowhere to go. I was homeless when I was 18 after my beloved mother died, my dad remarried 5 months later. I had a perfect childhood and it was just gone like that. I broke my knee really bad and in the hospital for 11 days. I came out with cast from my toes to my hip. I never touched any drugs. You all “assume” they’re using drugs. I was volunteering at a church in La Crosse and had the pleasure of meeting many homeless people. Many worked, but couldn’t get an apartment because they had no credit. My point, there are many different reasons for people being homeless. Yes, many have addiction problems,mental health issues, not all services are free! You think rehab is free and just so simple? There is such a thing called compassion! We all have a story to tell, so many of us have support and family to rely on. Other’s don’t and lose their way. Mental health and drug addiction are two very serious diseases. Have any of you negative people actually stopped to talk to someone who is homeless? I have countless times. I met an amazing homeless man who was older who had chronic health issues. He was staying with a young couple who was kind enough to take him in, but he felt it was time for him to move on. It was dead winter and freezing, I was able to speak with the young couple about Bob, yes he had a name, they told me he was a wonderful man. So I chose to let Bob stay with me for the weekend as my children were at UWL, but soon to be on winter break, so the weekend was all I could offer. Bob was the kindest man I had ever met such an intelligent man. When he slept in a nice bed, he never took his boots off, he was scared I’d tell him he had to go. For me it was the Christian woman in me and I’m so grateful I could help. So people please just always assume the worst! These people are human beings and their daily lives are the most difficult times you can’t even imagine! I always choose love and God always wants you to be kind and help those who are struggling. Mygosh, just acknowledge 🙌 instead of judging, or you may be the one who’s judged!

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