Coalition to help homeless in Point

STEVENS POINT — As the homeless population has grown in Stevens Point in recent years, so has the community’s support. Many homeless individuals reside in downtown Stevens Point, which has led to an increase in calls to the police department regarding belongings left behind in front of businesses or in public gathering areas.
To combat the problem of abandoned belongings in downtown areas, lockers have been installed behind One Big Tent on Water Street. Two dozen storage lockers are available for homeless individuals to store and secure their belongings. The chief of police and a community resource officer are responsible for assigning lockers to individuals, who are given a lock and small storage unit to use as long as needed.
Community groups have recently formed a new coalition to help support homeless individuals in Stevens Point. Partnering Together of Portage County announced their organization on Sept. 25, led by president Gregg Hansel. This new organization aims to provide easy access to comprehensive services for homeless individuals. Partnering Together of Portage County is made up of organizations including the Salvation Army, One Big Tent, Catholic Charities, Noble Community Clinics, CAP Services, Franciscans Downtown, the City of Stevens Point, and Stevens Point Community Outreach. By working together, Partnering Together of Portage County is working to centralize their services and provide a greater impact to the community. According to a news release, details about services and volunteer opportunities will be shared in upcoming weeks.

Statewide
Housing advocates across Wisconsin say the rising cost of housing and a lack of affordable inventory are contributing to the increasing homeless population in the state.

In 2024, 21,466 clients in Wisconsin who were homeless or at risk of losing their housing were served by agencies within the Homeless Management Information System. The system is used to track data on homelessness and coordinate response. There were 17,075 clients who received emergency shelter, which was higher than each of the previous two years.
The Point in Time count, which accounts for the number of homeless people on a single night, was 5,019 last year. According to HMIS data, that’s the highest number since 2016, with Milwaukee County as the only large county seeing a significant decrease. Statewide counts for 2025 have not yet been released, but in Dane County, 790 homeless people were counted, the highest number since 2021.
“Rent is high. If someone has social security income due to a disabling condition or because they’re an older adult, I would say it’s near impossible to find housing in our area and probably most areas of the country that is affordable,” said Torrie Kopp Mueller, continuum of care coordinator for the Homeless Services Consortium of Dane County. “When there is an affordable unit, you know, it’s one and everyone’s applying for it.”
The average person experiencing homelessness in a Dane County emergency shelter or a safe haven will spend around 78 nights there, according to the consortium’s annual system performance measures, data highlighting the length of time it can take for the unhoused to find their footing or otherwise leave the shelters. But even when housing does become available, not all have equal access to it.
“Sometimes the folks we serve have blemishes on their record. Maybe poor credit, or a criminal thing that happened years ago and that can make it hard to find housing when you’re competing with all kinds of people,” Kopp Mueller said.
These issues can seem daunting to people in the community, advocates say. But there are things residents can do to help. On World Homeless Day, which is Oct. 10, they’re offering suggestions to help the unhoused.

Donate
Advocates say homeless shelters and programs that help the unhoused could use monetary donations, but they’re also in need to items for the residents, too.
Common donations include cleaning supplies, diapers, baby lotion, gift cards, underwear, allergy medicine, hand sanitizer, coffee, canned soup, boxed pasta and granola bars.
Contact your local shelter to see what is needed.

Volunteer
While any help is appreciated, some advocates said there is a special need for people who can volunteer regularly. Volunteers at shelters or pantries often stock shelves, cook, clean or perform other duties.

Advocate
Advocates for the homeless urge community members to pay attention to what’s happening at the local level. Often, there are discussions in government meetings about affordable housing or proposals for homeless shelters. More voices advocating for resources helps, they said.
“Going to neighborhood meetings, budget hearings and advocating for resources for people experiencing homelessness, or if there’s an affordable housing development in your neighborhood, going and speaking in support of those things is huge. We need to hear those supportive voices.” said Kopp Mueller in Dane County.

Withhold judgement
There are many reasons why people lose or can’t find housing, advocates say, from job lost to health issues to the loss of a spouse. The easiest thing community members can do is work to understand the homeless community and what they might need to get back on their feet.
In La Crosse, the city and county joined forces for create Pathways Home, whose goal is to reduce the time people spend in shelters in part by addressing issues that cause homelessness.
Jim Drees, homelessness response system manager for La Crosse County, and Brian Sampson, homeless services coordinator for the city, said in a statement that affordable housing can be difficult to find, especially for people with criminal records or mental illness.
“Our system depends on second chance landlords — those willing to rent to individuals with challenging histories — and second chance employers who offer job opportunities to those rebuilding their lives,” they said.

Reporters Anna Hansen, Terry Flores, Ryan Patterson and Caden Perry contributed to the statewide snapshot of homelessness in Wisconsin.