While La Crosse government continues to address homelessness on multiple fronts, Wisconsin’s state Legislature does nothing

Both city and county governments in La Crosse continue to address homelessness on multiple fronts. 

Seemingly every idea is unpopular to someone — from camping bans to giving free rental apartments — which is why it’s such a divisive issue.

One group, though, isn’t stressing over homelessness at all. Wisconsin’s state Legislature simply ignores the homeless crisis.

Republican Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Loren Oldenburg said last week on La Crosse Talk PM that, in his six years, homelessness has not been addressed in the Legislature.

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Oldenburg represents the 96th District, south of La Crosse. He could, however, inherit the south side of the city with new maps if he wins the fall election. 

He mentioned on WIZM that La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds has brought up homelessness with him a few times.

“He called me even before the redistricting,” Oldenburg said. “He said, ‘Hey, this is an issue.’ And he said, ‘Hey, this has to be addressed at the state level.’ 

“Through three terms that I’ve been (in the Legislature), homeless legislation has really not come up,” Oldenburg added.

The possibility of taking on the south side of La Crosse, though, has Oldenburg more engaged with the issue.

“ Very interesting,” Oldenburg said of homelessness, “once I realized, OK, La Crosse, it’s very, it’s in the paper every two or three weeks. So it is an issue up here in La Crosse because it is on the news. It’s something going on.

“So I’ll be very interested in going forward and see what kind of legislation that’s been out there. What do we already have on the books? How do we fund it? Is there any funding as far as available for these local municipalities that they can tap in? And then what does, what do other states do?”

Another problem, though, is the Wisconsin Legislature is out of session until after the election. It’s been out of session since mid-March — save for one day when the Senate met to try and override some governor vetoes. 

So, whatever Oldenburg learns over these next few months on the homeless issue would mean nothing if he’s not re-elected. 

“ The expectation is that somehow our communities have to shoulder this load and the state doesn’t have to do a damn thing,” Reynolds said Monday on La Crosse Talk PM. “The federal government doesn’t have to lift a finger. And yet we’re the ones that have to somehow support these entire communities of unsheltered individuals because these other communities aren’t provided resources or there’s no organization or coordination at the state or federal level.

“And that’s the thing that’s most asinine about this. And that’s why it’s ridiculous for lawmakers to simply shrug their shoulders and say, ‘Yep, I don’t know. I guess, uh, we’ll do it next time,’ because they won’t. And that’s what is creating this crisis.”

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Oldenburg also noted on WIZM he had not yet looked into Crosse’s city and county governments’ five-year plan to end homelessness called Pathways Home, which was unveiled six months ago.

“ I’ve not dove into that,” Oldenburg said. “The biggest thing with my conversation with the mayor was, he really would like to see something done at the state level. This was roughly a year or so ago, we had a conversation, one morning on something else and then he mentioned (homelessness).”

Reynolds pointed out that even Oldenburg’s current district still butts right up to La Crosse and those living there might work in the city. Plus, homeless people may end up in La Crosse, because the surrounding communities don’t — or can’t — address it.

“You have communities that have no shelter, no services of any kind,” Reynolds said, “And so the expectation is that those individuals go to places like La Crosse, because that’s where the services are. And that is the expectation. And that’s why this whole system is so broken.”

Reynolds added that he was running out of ideas in getting the Legislature’s attention.

“I don’t know how to make this a plainer case,” he said. “That there has to be some way to address this comprehensively on a regional or statewide basis, or we are going to fail. We’re going to fail in our communities. And if we fail in our communities, we’re going to fail as a state.”

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, noted that it tends to be ignored the higher you go up in government, because it’s a political loser to campaign on.

“ It could be that type of situation where there’s only political downside for politicians,” Chergosky said on La Crosse Talk PM. “ It’s a really tough issue. It is politically dangerous to deal with this issue. And there don’t seem to be easy answers, even as some communities have had more success than others.”

Chergosky also said local governments are more prone to address the issue, which is what is seen playing out in La Crosse and across Wisconsin.

The La Crosse County Board and members of the city council heard an update on the Pathways Home project Monday night.

Plus, the La Crosse city council will be addressing two pieces of legislation Thursday in regards to homelessness — camping bans and charging the city council with the responsibility of banning portions of the city from camping, instead of the Board of Public Works.