Hide Transcript Show Transcript

PEOPLE OUT FROM UNDER THE INTERSTATE. WISN 12 NEWS’ HILLARY MINTZ EXPLAINS HOW SOON THEY MAY BE MOVING. >> THE SOLUTION TO CLEARING OUT THE HOMELESS CAMPS UNDER 794 HAS BEEN DIFFICULT, BUT NOW A NEW PLAN TO TURN THE LAND INTO A GREEN SPACE BY NEXT SUMMER, COULD EXPEDITE THEIR RELOCATION. IS THE GOAL TO GET THEM OUT FROM THAT AREA FOR GOOD? JAMES MATHY WITH MILWAUKEE COUNTY’S HOUSING DIVISION, SAYS LAST FALL, THEY GOT 89 PEOPLE INTO PERMANENT HOUSING, THEY’RE HOPING TO DO THE SAME THIS FALL, BEFORE WINTER HITS. 12 NEWS HAS LEARNED THE TOMMY THOMPSON CENTER AT STATE FAIR PARK WAS AN OPTION, BUT THAT’S OU ANOTHER POSSIBILITY FOR HOUSING IS ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE HOMELESS CAMP, BUT MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY OWNS IT AND ULTIMATELY SAID NO. >> THE COUNTY SAYS THEY HAVE A FEW MORE SPOTS THAT MIGHT WORK, BUT WON’T SAY WHERE. >> WE ARE LOOKING AT SIX OR SEVEN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. THAT IS ACTUALLY BETTER FOR OUR CLIENTS TO HAVE A LITTLE CHOICE WHERE THEY GO. >> IF THEY WERE TO FIND HOUSING SOON, WOULD YOU GO? >> OH YEA. >> THIS MAN SAYS HE’S BEEN LIVING HERE FOR THE PAST THREE MONTHS, AND SAYS HOUSING COULD HELP HIM GET HIS LIFE BACK ON TRACK. >> I LIVED IN THE SUBURBS FOLLOWED BY UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, FOLLOWED BY A SLEW OF BAD DECISIONS. I’D LIKE TO SHOWER EVERY DAY, BRUSH MY TEETH COME IN COOK MEALS COME AND YOU CAN’T DO THAT HERE. >> IN MILWAUKEE, HILLARY MINTZ, WISN 12 NEWS. JOYCE: THE COUNTY SAYS THEY’RE ALWAYS IN NEED OF DONATIONS FO

Advertisement Green space project could expedite clear-out of tent city Milwaukee County says it has several locations in mind for housing Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A new landscape project in the works could force dozens of people out from under the interstate near 6th and Clybourn streets in Milwaukee. The solution to clearing out the homeless camps under I-794 has been anything but simple, but now a new plan to turn the land into a green space by next summer could expedite their relocation."Our main goal is to have folks not sleeping outside, so we're going to continue to offer folks permanent housing and wraparound services," said James Mathy with Milwaukee County’s housing division. Mathy said last fall, they got 89 people into permanent housing. They're hoping to do the same this fall before winter hits.WISN 12 News has learned the Tommy Thompson center at State Fair Park was an option, but that's out.Another possibility for housing, right across the street from the homeless camp, is the vacant Ramada Inn, but Marquette University owns it, and said no.The county said it has a few more spots that might work but wouldn't say where."We're looking at about six or seven locations. It's actually better for our clients to have a little bit of choice in where they go," Mathy said. One man who WISN 12 News reporter Hillary Mintz spoke with said he's been living in the homeless camp for the past three months and said housing could help him get his life back on track."I mean, I've lived in the suburbs and backed my car into my driveway and raised my kids until I had some unfortunate events followed by a slew of bad decisions, which ended me up here, so I like to shower every day and brush my teeth and, like, cook meals, and you can't do that here," he said. The county said it is always in need of donations for the homeless once they get them into housing.If you'd like to help, visit http://www.housingfirstmilwaukee.com/