When Sue Graf blew an airhorn from her bright yellow van, people slowly revealed themselves from the treeline and walked toward the side of the vehicle. Graf’s van partner, Bryan Holiday, walked around the trail to make sure they found everyone they expected to see from the banks of the La Crosse River.
Most people at this stop were regulars from the past few months, but some newcomers were sprinkled through the line. Since the homeless encampments north of Riverside Park were cleared by the city last month, the tents and temporary structures used by many people have moved east into La Crosse’s marshes.
Graf and Holiday’s yellow What I Need Now van brings daily supplies such as clothes, towels, cleaning supplies and food to homeless people in need. The pair of social workers have both struggled to find some regular clients and are also discovering new clients pop up all over ever since La Crosse cleared the large encampment
“If you tell people to go, you need to tell them where to go,” Graf said.
Since people have started moving into the marshes, complaints have piled up against the homeless. For Rachel Behrends, the complaints threaten the way she and her partner, Taylor Murphy, have lived for the past two years.
Behrends has a campsite set in the marshlands far from trails and public infrastructure. The only access trail is a thin shoreland that stretches 50 yards into the marsh before reaching the site. Behrends said living this far out has kept her from the scrutiny of trail walkers and local authorities.
“We’re pretty mad ‘cause we had no problems. Two years in the same spot, no problems. Now we’re worried we could lose it,” Behrends said. “A bunch of new people came around, throwing trash everywhere and yelling at people and it’s jeopardizing our living here.”
Since the encampment was cleared last month, Behrends said relocated campers have brought trouble with theft, property destruction and by threatening those passing by on the trails. She blamed a new camping ban proposal from the city on these new campers.
Trying to stay clean
Many of the complaints against the relocated homeless population surround garbage pileups. Several letters from residents at The Landings Condominiums allege seeing trash and hazardous materials sprawl across marshlands near Copeland Avenue.
Along Vietnam Veterans Trail, few signs of trash were evident last week. The only trash can near the campers was removed at the beginning of the month. Nearby campers admitted the can became overfilled, but it was being used by the people in the area.
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