Living in Cameron Park

It can only take one unfortunate circumstance for a person to end up on the street.

Several of those people call Cameron Park in La Crosse’s downtown home.

It can only take one unfortunate circumstance for a person to end up on the street.

Several of those people call cameron park in la crosse's downtown home.

The la crosse police department and several organizations held a resource gathering today in the park.

News 8 now's jordan fremstad tells us what local leaders are doing to give homeless people a chance at a better life.

This place you find nature in the midst of concrete and steel.

There are a lot of people who love downtown la crosse's cameron park.

So does susan cheri moore... "i currently live in this park."

...and tom gray.

"i've been out here.

This is my third summer in a row."

Both are part of a community in need of help.

"this is really no life for anybody."

"there's quite a few homeless people who stay in this park on a regular basis."

Many of these people feel leaders are pushing them out of the one place they feel safe.

"where we gonna go?

What we gonna do?"

The frustration is heard from rufus miller.

"we're on the streets.

We're surviving out here."

He says covid-19 just made their situation worse.

"this got us all messed up.

I lost my job and everything."

He wants answers to some difficult questions and he is not alone.

"they want us out of this park.

I guess i can understand that.

They don't want us camping out here, but when you're in dire straights and you have no choice what is one to do?"

"i know they're trying.

(pause) "...bugs there's another thing you gotta deal with out here."

"for the past four years i've been the downtown neighborhood resource officer."

Officer alex burg...knows these people well.

He and several organizations are trying to get these people out of this life.

"we're not just here to enforce ordinances or make arrests.

We're trying to help them connect with the right people to get them out of the situation."

This is a complicated issue because everyone has their own story.

"sometimes with addiction and mental health it's difficult to overcome those barriers."

The only people who truly understand are the ones living here sun up to sun down.

"it's definitely not like going on a weekend camping trip."

"if you traded places for a week you would understand the desperation; the fear."

Alex says it is up to people like himself to give these people options, he just asks they listen.

"the people need to want to get the help themselves.

I think that's really important."

Susan says people are one bad break or decision away from ending up in her shoes.

"a relationship gone bad; a sheriff's eviction.

It can be any number of things."

Many don't know if things will get better.

"i'm already 60 years old.

The life that i was living is gone.

I'll never get it back."

The only fact is there are people in la crosse doing what they can for these people.

They still want them to visit cameron park but have a place of their own.

"i'm optimistic that things will turn out the way that they should; that we'll get the help that we need."

This is jordan fremstad news 8 now.

"we're doing the best that we can right now."

La crosse.

Officer burg says he has seen many success stories over the years.

He says the city is working to make