As I See It
City Hall shifts gears on homelessness strategy
La Crosse has a new tool to deal with homelessness. But will it make a difference? The city has changed gears in an attempt to reduce the homeless population. Apparently giving up on the handouts to the homeless, the city is instead adopting more of a tough love approach, prohibiting camping in city parks and parking ramps. Under the new ordinance, La Crosse police will have increased authority to kick out those who are camping in areas where it is prohibited, like Cameron Park and the Market Square ramp. Actually, the city had that authority all along, and has for decades, but the new language makes that more clear. But if this new policy is going to make any difference, it will have to be enforced. It is already illegal to be in La Crosse parks after 11pm, but the park director says it doesn’t have the staffing to enforce that. It is hard to see how that will change under the new policy, unless police take more of a role in enforcing it. Either way, this new policy seems to mark a shift from City Hall trying to reduce homelessness by finding adequate housing for the unsheltered to trying to reduce the numbers by making them go somewhere else.
Victoria Stolpa
July 17, 2023 at 9:32 am
First you literally entice those who are unfortunately homeless with free camping which brought many more to the community, then you kick them out and talk about making Houses park a campground for more revenue coming into the city. This city is responsible for letting the situation get out of hand and now you want to punish the very people you actually invited to the community. Maybe it’s time for you to walk a mile in their shoes. I challenge the mayor and every counsel person to leave their homes with nothing but the clothes on their backs and go live on the streets for one month and see what it’s really like. Maybe then they’ll show some compassion and come up with some realistic solutions.
Karl
July 17, 2023 at 1:04 pm
They would have to become drug addicts first and literally throw their futures away, just as the “unhoused” have done. Let’s not bullshit ourselves about who these people are and what they are about.
Misty
July 19, 2023 at 6:01 pm
Well Karl you sound awfully full of yourself. First off I firsthand am appalled by some of the behaviors displayed by some of the ones that are on drugs and creating such disgusting living situations. But not every one is on drugs and not all homeless refuse work so they can loiter all day in the heat and freeze during winter. Literally taking homeless as a whole and talking down on them as if you have been in those shoes really makes you sound ignorant. Why don’t you help with motivating and building up their chances at success for simple basic needs instead of demeaning their efforts at belonging. A little goes a long way but starting with a good support team makes a huge difference. Take your ass to some groups and change your ignorant mindset so you can be helpful not hindering the homeless
Musty
July 20, 2023 at 4:33 pm
Hey Misty you should open your house to the “homeless”. I KNOW YOU NEVER WILL. LET THEM SHOOT UP AND SMOKE CRACK IN YOUR HOUSE. DO IT MISTY.
Amanda Coleman
July 18, 2023 at 11:43 am
Amanda
Steve
July 18, 2023 at 6:23 pm
Couldn’t agree more. City started a fire they can’t run away from. And with the Town of Campbell situation lingering. Should be interesting. I just know I like not having to walk through piss puddles in the ramp while I’m just trying to work
Rick Ingalls
July 18, 2023 at 6:44 pm
I have no problem helping people It’s when some of them don’t want to help themselves can’t clean app after themselves cost thousands to clean app the last park should’ve made them people clean it app should make them people earn their keep like they did years ago there’s nothing wrong with that
D S
July 19, 2023 at 8:03 am
If you are going to complain…. maybe you should also have a plan to bring forth that would be better! Yes, they shouldn’t have let it get out of hand but…. that’s water under the bridge…. have to move forward….
Brandon
July 17, 2023 at 11:50 am
Good first step. Might not save your next run for mayor mitch, but hand ups not hand outs. Almost none of these people are from this area they are transients. Traveling from place to place they look and communicate for places that are homeless friendly. That will give them all they need in order to do nothing. While there is record low participation in employment still. Get the needles out of our parks and away from our beaches. Id like a figure on what we’ve spent locally to clean up this disaster.
J
July 19, 2023 at 4:05 am
I want to know how much the city had to pay out for repairs to the hotel the city was not allowed to return to. It’s been a hush hush thing. The whole reason they couldn’t do the hotel anymore.
Linda kugler
July 17, 2023 at 12:42 pm
Our son is homeless , we kicked him out because he was getting violent with us and his addiction to adderall. He’s been living on the streets in lacrosse for 8 months . We are waiting for the day when he is ready to say yes I need help . Giving him food and stuff is postponing his coming to the end of himself . We love our son and he was raised in a loving Christian home . Time for tough love for our beloved David .
Doris Altman
July 17, 2023 at 7:27 pm
I understand that, my nephew is out there also my sister had to show tough love , my nephew has mental health problems, and on those drugs and seems to not want to get off..so now he’s homeless. So guess we have to hit rock bottom..My sister in72 now and there’s nothing else she can do.
Rick Ingalls
July 18, 2023 at 6:49 pm
Believe me it will work for him 40 some years ago that’s what happened to me and I had to get smart get a job and take care of myself Nothing’s wrong with a little tough love
Karl
July 17, 2023 at 1:05 pm
They would have to become drug addicts first and literally throw their futures away, just as the “unhoused” have done. Let’s not bullshit ourselves about who these people are and what they are about.
walden
July 18, 2023 at 12:08 am
Just a head fake. Nothing substantive. Still no enforcement of the ordinances.
Fake name
July 18, 2023 at 10:04 am
It’s illegal under federal law and 4th and 14th amendment civil rights to evacuate the homeless from city parks WHEN THERE IS NO VACANCY IN THE LOCAL HOMELESS SHELTERS. POINT BLANK! Maybe houska wasn’t an ideal situation but it kept them from migrating to every city park in the area…correct. shuffling the homeless from place to place they are told not to be at isn’t a solution. The mayor is an idiot! You can’t just shove people under a rug and hope they go away. What happened to the 3 million of gov funds? It wasn’t spent the way the mayor quoted to say. They are people they aren’t wild animals. Even if they act like it sometimes. Nonetheless where the hell are they suppose to go. Where does the mayor expect them to go when he has the police harass them and kick them out. HE WAS GIVEN 3 MILLION. $700,000 WENT TO ECONO. WHERES THE REST OF THE MONEY? HIS POCKETS IS WHAT I THINK.
Fake name2
July 19, 2023 at 4:08 am
He did just get divorced, rent a condo by city hall, and buy a house recently…so the lining pockets might be right
D S
July 19, 2023 at 8:11 am
About 100 dump truck loads of garbage hauled out this past spring… that cost A LOT….
Jana Boland
July 18, 2023 at 10:10 am
We need to go back to the system that worked before COVID. There needs to be a year round non denomination shelter to keep them out of the parks at night. Then there needs to be a day shelter like the former Hospitality House where they can shower,do laundry, eat,get clothing and hygiene products. Sue Graf ran it and she has the biggest most understanding kind heart and did a lot of good and helped change some of the unhoused for the better. She had an open door policy and made everyone feel like they mattered. We need a system that works.
Arkiya
July 18, 2023 at 1:19 pm
Thanks for generalizing all of us out here. I’m homeless and addicted to nothing you pompous pos… So STFU
Joe
July 20, 2023 at 5:00 pm
Ya right!!!! Just lazy as hell then. Get off the internet and get a job.
Kent Porter
July 18, 2023 at 2:08 pm
FIRST PRIORITY GET THE HOMELESS OFF THE STREETS. PRIORTY 2 ARREST ALL HOMELESS CAUGHT WITH METH. HEROIN CRACK AND COKE. PRIORTY 3 GET THE HOMELESS JOBS ONCE THEY ARE CLEANED UP. PRIORITY 4 STOP OUR ELECTED JUDGES FROM THEIR SLAP ON THE WRIST MANTALITY PRIORTY 5 GET RID OF MAYOR MITCH AND WRITE IN KENT PORTER FOR MAYOR. BECAUSE I WOULD NOT OF GIVEN 2 MILLION DOLLS OF OUR TAX MONEY TO HOMELESS THAT REFUSE TO WORK. WRITE ME IN NEXT ELECTION. BE SAFE WITH THE ADDICTED ZOMBIES RUNNING AROUND OUR NIEGHBORHOODS
STANLEY BAKER
July 18, 2023 at 7:03 pm
Having them go elsewhere? They (we) have nowhere else too go this is ridiclous by criminalizing staying in parks its a violation of human rights and is unjust there should have been a shelter built instead of spending the money too house them in a hotel political shame on mayor richards and city counsel for the money they took and lord knows what they did with it rest assured there will be a investigation into this there is a national lawyer association for the homeless and already have been informed what is going on in La Crosse. Needed is programs too prevent homelessness employment training mental health substance abuse there is government funding for all of this people stop judging the homeless they are humans also no they shouldnt be given handouts a a shelter with incentives ex go clean up a park then u get a $20 gift card too wal mart attend treatment classes u get a extra 2hrs too be out doing whatever rewards by action its simple logic everyone is quick too bash the homeless instead or being part of the problem be a part of the solution
Casie
July 18, 2023 at 10:12 pm
Now the City and the County are working together. Their meeting said little about drug abuse and addressing it. One idea proffered was to hire lawyers to prevent eviction. If someone is still using, they’re going to get evicted if they don’t pay their rent. Unfortunately, both of our hospitals have decreased long term behavior stays. If you want to help them, beef up vice to get the big fish and give the users some kind of incentive to accept rehab. I think the halfway houses are no longer operating either, not sure.