LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) – On Thursday, the La Crosse County Board of Supervisors voted to use $3 million in federal funding for what’s known as bridge housing.
The move, supported by Couleecap and Catholic Charities, would allocate money from the American Rescue Plan Act to purchase about 15 houses around the county to use as short term housing for families facing homelessness, allowing them to live in the homes for up to two years.
The board ultimately amended the resolution twice before voting 22-4 in favor with four abstentions.
Some of the opposition during Thursday’s meeting came from those who said the move amounts to using taxpayer money for what amounts to a temporary fix for what will be an ongoing problem while others worried the money would be focused in the City of La Crosse while ignoring the county’s more rural areas.