Proposed increase in properties to ban camping because of homeless, draws crowd at La Crosse meeting

A near packed La Crosse city council chambers Monday for a meeting over a plan to increase the number of areas where camping would be prohibited, due to the amount of homeless people living unsheltered.

After hearing citizens report about violence and drug dealing, where the homeless are camped, the La Crosse Board of Public Works voted 3-2 against adding new properties where there would be a ban on camping.

Nearly 40 tax parcels, mostly within the marsh area, were proposed for inclusion in the camping restrictions.

The council chamber was filled nearly to capacity — several speaking about safety concerns.

“We call emergency numbers at all hours, reporting screaming, profanity, and obvious violence occurring,” Neva Von Haden, who lives near the marsh, said. “Dogs run loose, unlicensed and unvaccinated. We’ve reported clusters of used needles on the trails surrounding our homes.”

Caitlyn Konze, speaking before the board, opened a briefcase to drop many small paper tents onto the floor, which she said represented a documented homeless person.

“It’s very difficult to keep track,” Konze said, “because again, the amount of times that an encampment is cleared out, they scatter to various other places, so it’s difficult to get an actual accurate read on how many people are actually unsheltered right now.”

City officials speaking at the meeting spoke of finding long-term solutions to the homeless problem, and called on La Crosse County to work jointly with the city on finding housing for unsheltered people.

The issue was also discussed Monday on La Crosse Talk PM with council members Tamra Dickson, who is on the board, and Mac Kiel, who spoke at the meeting during public comments.

New proposals could be discussed by the city council during its July meetings, but are not on the agendas for the June cycle of meetings.