Damakant Jayshi
Prior to a special meeting next week, Wausau City Council members will likely tour the Scott Street Bridge area where homeless residents have been camping to see conditions firsthand.
During a discussion on the status of homelessness in Wausau for the month of February, members of the Public Health and Safety Committee on Monday agreed that a proposed visit by the City Council members – likely along with the city’s mayor – should take place next week. They want to tour the area underneath the bridge where people frequently camp, seek shelter and store their possessions.
The Department of Public Works and Wausau Police Department, the two departments that want the area fenced to keep homeless people out, will facilitate the tour before a meeting of a Committee of the Whole set for March 28. Mayor Katie Rosenberg and other council members will need to agree on the schedule before the visit is finalized.
Last Tuesday, the Wausau City Council held off on a budget proposal for a bridge fencing project that has drawn criticism from advocates for the city’s homeless residents and decided that they should soon tour the area. Dist. 10 Alder Lou Larson suggested visiting the area prior to the COW meeting, which was previously proposed by Alders Gary Gisselman and Tom Kilian. The meeting was initially scheduled for Feb. 23 but postponed due to inclement weather.
Most chose shelters, others refuse for a variety of reasons
Presenting her monthly update, Community Outreach Specialist Tracy Rieger said an estimated 82% of Wausau’s unhoused population sought or received shelter in the month of February but the remainder, about 35 people, are living outside “in the elements” or in vehicles. Rieger said some people living outdoors could come to the shelter if temperatures plummet.
“The majority of the individuals living outside are doing that by choice,” Rieger said.
Some people experiencing homelessness find the atmosphere at the shelters just not right for them, Rieger said. She added that among those who chose to stay outside, some are struggling significantly with mental health, while some others are addicted to substances and can’t be away from it for hours in shelters.
Dist. 4 Alder Doug Diny said council members will discuss during the upcoming COW meeting how to bring that number, 35, down.
Rasmussen said they are looking forward to a partnership with Northcentral Health Care, which is then first stop for people with mental health issues.
Rieger also pointed to the difficulty commonly faced by homeless residents: an inability to find housing despite having income to pay rent. She said she met some people staying at the Salvation Army shelter who have income but cannot find housing due to their histories.
In her memo for February, Rieger wrote that data from The Women’s Community includes crime victims who sought shelter because their home was unsafe. The Bridge Street Mission number includes people released from jail/prison, drug rehab, or homelessness and the Marathon County Jail includes inmates who identified as “homeless” at the time of booking.
Bob Grady, Program Director/Operations Manager at The Open Door, provided an update on the nonprofit’s services for those who use them. The Open Door provides “temporary help to current and newly released inmates,” among other services, impacting about 1,000 people each year, according to its website. The Open Door has added four additional hours of operation on weekends, he said, and expanded their kitchen and dining area, allowing more people to sit comfortably.
In a March 14 meeting, the Wausau City Council approved a budget amendment related to the daytime shelter to be operated by Open Door. The council approved the additional $51,129 of American Rescue Plan Act funds as recommended by the Wausau Finance Committee, which acted on a recommendation by the police department.
While approving the funding, council members asked that they be provided a periodic report so that taxpayers know how the money is being spent and also to demonstrate that the council is actively engaged in dealing with homelessness in Wausau.
On Tuesday, Grady asked the PHS Committee members what they wish to be included in the periodic report. Becky McElhaney, who had asked for such periodic reports, suggested that a regular update be provided with the number of people using services at the Open Door as well as information on what worked well and what did not.
