Stevens Point navigates challenges as some homeless decline assistance

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By Brandi Makuski

STEVENS POINT — Despite two severe cold snaps since the start of the year, Stevens Point officials say the city’s homeless crisis remains a challenge, with some individuals refusing available aid.

Local shelters continue to provide accommodations for the unhoused, but police officers—who frequently interact with individuals living on the streets—say their options are often limited.

“You can’t force someone to accept help,” said Officer Mike Radsek of the Stevens Point Police Department. “Some of them just want to live apart from society.”

Radsek serves as the department’s liaison with the city’s homeless population, often connecting individuals with social services, securing temporary shelter, and helping them obtain identification for medical treatment. Earlier this year, he assisted an unhoused man in getting a photo ID so he could check into a medical facility. He has also delivered applications for employment and veterans’ benefits and helped unhoused individuals check into local motels.

Police Chief Bob Kussow said Radsek is frequently called upon to assist the homeless. While he serves as the main point of contact, most officers interact with the unhoused during routine patrols.

One recent case, however, ended in tragedy.

Lt. Joe Johnson, the department’s public information officer, said a 59-year-old man was asked to leave a local shelter in January for not following the rules. He refused assistance from an officer and instead slept outdoors in dangerously cold temperatures.

He was later transported to a Madison hospital for frostbite treatment, Johnson said.

The Metro Wire confirmed through multiple sources that the man required several toe amputations, though Johnson declined to comment on that detail, citing medical privacy laws and department policy.

Assistant EMS Chief Joe Gemza said Stevens Point Fire Department crews have responded to three frostbite cases since the beginning of the year. The National Weather Service reported wind chills plummeting below minus 30 degrees, with another round of dangerously cold temperatures that hit in mid-February.

At least three known homeless individuals slept outdoors during those extreme conditions, all of whom declined assistance from police, city officials said.

In response to the recent cold weather, Kussow said the police department temporarily opened its lobby to provide overnight shelter.

“But once people learned there was no food provided—only a place to sleep—very few took advantage of it,” Kussow said.

Mayor Mike Wiza said the city is working with community partners, including the Salvation Army and local churches, to distribute information on available services. The downtown warming shelter at Frame Memorial Presbyterian Church has 20 beds, while the local Salvation Army facility can house 30 people in need.

A local nonprofit group, One Big Tent, is also working to assist low-income and unhoused residents and help address poverty and social isolation. The group, formed in 2020, was recently given a lease at a city-owned Water St. office building and plans to open that location later this year.

Wiza also said the city had unofficially suspended park hours at Pfiffner Pioneer Park to allow some homeless individuals to sleep in the bandshell. A portable toilet was also installed at the park to accommodate those staying there, he said.

“The city is doing everything within its power to provide help for those who want help,” Wiza said. “There is a segment of the population that chooses to live the lifestyle they do and, on occasion, actively refuses help. We provide the resources, but we can’t force anyone to accept them.”

Kussow praised Radsek’s hands-on approach, noting that he has volunteered at the warming shelter near the library, arriving at 6 a.m. to assist with operations.

“He worked it; he actually was the person there,” Kussow said.

The Salvation Army Bread of Life Hope Center of Portage County operates with a no-tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol, according to office manager Amanda Phillip. The facility does not accept sex offenders, she said, because doing so would limit access for other individuals in need.

Phillip said the center sees a mix of individuals, including single parents with children, those who are temporarily displaced, and people struggling with substance abuse. The center has not had to turn anyone away for lack of space since Jan. 1, but Phillip said some individuals have been asked to leave for violating shelter rules.

“The biggest reasons for removal are refusing to follow the program—like completing basic chores—or drinking,” she said.

For those who do not comply, Phillip said, responses are handled on a case-by-case basis. Staff members work closely with police to determine the best course of action for repeat visitors.

“We don’t want them to keep resorting to the same situation,” she said. “We’re here to help them, but we’re not here to hold their hand.”

Mental health remains a significant factor in homelessness, but the Bread of Life Hope Center does not have an in-house social worker or psychologist. Instead, staff provide referrals to local clinics. However, access to mental health services is limited, with wait times stretching months in some cases, Phillip said.

She also said that following any tragic event, including the recent cases of frostbite, involving a member of the homeless community, the staff has an internal meeting to discuss how to better address those issues in the future.

But sometimes, there’s little or nothing they can do, Wiza said.

“It’s tragic,” Wiza said. “Nobody should be in a situation where exposure gets to that level. But at the same time, how do you help someone who doesn’t want it?”

By the numbers: Homelessness at the Salvation Army Hope Center in 2024

• Total individuals served: 241
  • Women: 71
  • Men: 169
• Total nights of shelter provided: Approximately 6,900
• Adults served: 218
• Children served: 23
• Race/Ethnicity:
  • White: 161
  • African American: 36
  • Hispanic: 2
  • Asian: 3
• Health conditions among individuals served:
  • Reported mental health disorder: 103
  • Alcohol use disorder: 27
  • Drug use disorder: 23
  • Both alcohol and drug use disorder: 16
  • Chronic health condition: 77
  • Developmental disability: 56
  • Physical disability: 75
• Economic factors:
  • Reported no income at the time of entry: 124
  • Reported no health insurance at the time of entry: 42
• Chronically homeless individuals: 35

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