Milwaukee homeless encampments to be cleared as Wisconsin DOT closes 2 park and ride sites

Dozens of people will have to leave homeless encampments at two Milwaukee park and ride lots after the state Department of Transportation announced the lots’ closures due to “declining safety conditions.” 

For the past year, people have been living out of their vehicles and campers at park and rides in Milwaukee, prompting community meetings and increased outreach from homeless outreach workers.

But a Monday notice from the state Department of Transportation said people living at the Holt Avenue and College Avenue park and rides have until Oct. 21 to pack their things and leave. The notice said any vehicles still at those properties after that date will be “removed/towed.” 

Mari, who didn’t want her last name used in the story, said she’s been living at the Holt Avenue park and ride on the city’s south side for several months. 

“It’s just not humane,” she said. “Where do you expect people to go? Are they supposed to disappear?” 

Eric Collins-Dyke, the assistant administrator of supportive housing and homeless services for Milwaukee County, said he believes around 60 people are living at the two park and rides and another park and ride at College Avenue on the other side of the interstate. He said homeless outreach workers with the county have continued their efforts to get people into housing there.

“This week, we’re going to try and strategize and coordinate with other outreach teams to try to connect people (to housing) as quickly as possible,” Collins-Dyke said.

“It’s going to be a heavy lift,” he added.

A statement from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation indicated state law says people cannot “camp in wagons, tent(s) or otherwise on the public highways or lands adjacent.” 

The statement said between July 1 and Sept. 30, police have responded to over 275 calls for service for reports of “assault, theft and subjects with weapons” at the park and rides. Police have also responded to drug overdoses there, according to the statement.

“It has become clear that the current conditions are unsustainable,” the statement said. 

“Park and ride lots are not safe or suitable places for anyone to live,” said Joel Nilsestuen, assistant deputy secretary for the state Department of Transportation, in the statement. “We’ve worked closely with our partners to connect individuals with available resources and relocate them to safer situations. We do not take this action lightly, but we recognize the importance of doing what’s right for the safety of the people in the park and rides, the traveling public and nearby communities.” 

It’s not clear how long the park and rides will be closed for. A spokesperson for the department declined an interview request for this story. 

“WisDOT staff and partners are evaluating actions that will allow other park and ride locations to remain open for their intended use,” the Wisconsin DOT statement said. “Plans for reconfiguration at other park and ride lots and increased monitoring are underway.” 

Some people also use a Milwaukee County Transit Service bus that picks up riders at the Holt Avenue park and ride. A notice at that stop Monday said the lot will no longer be serviced by the bus. 

The issue comes as the homeless population has been increasing across the state. Homeless outreach workers in Milwaukee County have said they’ve seen an increase in homeless encampments across the area in the past several months. 

A March Wisconsin Policy Forum report found there were 4,861 people across the state experiencing homelessness in 2023, a 1.8 percent increase from the previous year. In Milwaukee County, the number of unhoused people had risen from 817 in 2021 to 1,056 in 2023, according to federal data.

The Wisconsin DOT statement said Milwaukee County Housing Services has found shelter and housing for more than 80 people once living at the park and rides. But several campers, vehicles and tents could be seen at both park and rides Monday morning.

Mari said she found herself homeless after she got sick and was hospitalized. Now, she said she’s not sure where she’ll be after Oct. 21. 

“There are a lot of people out here that they’re not criminals, drug addicts, problem people,” Mari said. “There are people out here like myself and others that have fallen on hard times and we’re not getting the help.” 

“There are a lot of people who are very worried,” she added. 

According to a December 2022 Milwaukee County memo, there are around 70,000 families in Milwaukee County that earn $15 per hour or less. But only about 30,000 rental homes are available for $650 a month or less.

“We need every level of government to continue to work together and increase funding aimed at eliminating the root causes of homelessness,” Milwaukee Alder Marina Dimitrijevic wrote in a Monday statement. “Our joint goal should be that no one is camping outside, not because we don’t like to see it, but rather because a safe environment is indoors with supportive services in our neighborhoods.”