Homelessness solutions: Ideas range from more shelter funding to opening Tommy Thompson Center

MILWAUKEE -- Advocates for the homeless in Milwaukee packed a City Hall hearing room on Wednesday, Nov. 28 as the Public Safety and Health Committee met to brainstorm solutions. There is a homeless encampment under the bridge near 6th and Clybourn, and tents given out to the homeless make the situation more visible.

"You'd see them huddled up near a building or under a bridge. Now that they're provided tents, which provides shelter and warmth, you can see a tent more visibly," said Emily Kenney with IMPACT.

An estimated 900 people sleep on the street in Milwaukee every night.

The ideas brought up in the committee meeting Wednesday ranged from more funding to keep warming shelters open longer and more often, to opening the Tommy Thompson Center at State Fair Park for the homeless. A previous suggestion that Marquette University open the Ramada Inn, recently purchased by Marquette, wasn't OK with Marquette officials. They said in a statement, in part, "Marquette is simply not in a position to use its facilities — vacant or otherwise — to house nonresidents and assume the significant, complex responsibilities that come with operating a shelter."

"I would call and convene a special meeting to find the monies necessary to take care of this immediately," said Alderman Mark Borkowski during the committee meeting.

Sister MacCanon Brown operates a homeless sanctuary and plans to open a 35,000 square foot warehouse near 24th and Center for the homeless.

"We also have the possibility of a tiny house village with city-owned property across the street to the north of our facility," said Brown.

During the committee meeting, the frustration of those who try to help the homeless was clear.

"We're talking millions of dollars floating in agencies and we can't figure out where someone's going to sleep when they might freeze to death. No one needs to be trained when they open a door and let someone come in," said Eva Welch, with Street Angels, Inc.

As it relates to Marquette University and the Ramada Inn, Alderman Bob Donovan read this statement at the beginning of the committee meeting:

Moving forward, Common Council members could bring forward proposals both short- and long-term to coordinate and fund solutions to this problem.