City council committee votes down homeless shelter plan

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Catholic Charities has withdrawn its proposal for opening a center on 5th Avenue South, before the council committee voted not to approve the project.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 proposal will still be sent to the full city council for consideration next week.       

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.    

Neumeister argued that surrounding counties are making matters worse, by sending their homeless residents to La Crosse to live, because of services available here.