Stories you might have missed from around Wisconsin.
Wausau: City seeks long-term solutions to homelessness.
In November, a homeless man died in Marathon Park in Wausau. That has reignited calls for more permanent solutions to the homelessness problems in Wausau. Two sides are arguing the approach the city should take to battle homelessness. The Wausau City Council recently approved funding for two officers dedicated to addressing homelessness, a move Wausau Police Chief Matt Barnes said is already yielding results. Barnes told WPR that the officers work both to enforce city ordinances and to Connect individuals with resources aimed at breaking the cycle of homelessness. That approach isn’t sitting well with critics like the Marathon County Community Outreach Task Force, who have accused the city of criminalizing homelessness, citing decisions like removing encampments and disallowing tents in parks. As part of a larger solution, Barnes is optimistic about the ongoing work of a joint task force involving Marathon County and the City of Wausau. It involves different nonprofits and elected officials from both boards. The task force is taking a look at capacity issues. Barnes went on to say, “The question to be asked is what is necessary to move that needle here to strive for a functional zero where people are leaving homelessness at the same rate people are entering homelessness in our community and need resources? Maybe the question is, who should pay for it and is that a role of government or a role of nonprofits?” Full Story…