Although La Crosse's Houska Park campground was shut down, officials said they have no plans to remove the homeless from that area. | Naomi August/Unsplash
Although La Crosse's Houska Park campground was shut down, officials said they have no plans to remove the homeless from that area. | Naomi August/Unsplash
La Crosse City homeless officials insist they have no plans of kicking anyone out of the Houska Park campground after it was officially shut down earlier this month.
“We just have to be prepared as a community and plan the best we can,” Homeless Services coordinator Brian Sampson told WKBT.
With the permit for the campground having ended, all the water and electricity hookups at the campground have now been turned off. Despite the changes, a huge group of homeless individuals remain in the area and add that they won’t be removing any tents from the area.
Along with now directing people to warming shelters across the city, County officials are now also providing some of the families with vouchers for hotel rooms, though they are unable to offer anything to individuals. Organizations like the Salvation Army are welcoming individuals who need shelter as the winter months get closer.
City officials have stated that when warming shelters hit capacity, there will be an emergency decree put in place. Currently, there are two emergency overflow facilities that can be used, but only for overnight hours.
With there not being a designated space for homeless individuals during daytime hours and some facilities already struggling to staff their overnight hours, City officials insist that they are committed to not criminalizing homelessness.
Alerts Sign-up