Wausau Police Department. Image courtesy: WAOW TV
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Wausau Public Health and Safety Committee heard an update regarding the city’s new community outreach specialist position, which was created to help the city’s homeless population get back on their feet.
Deputy Police Chief Matt Barnes says in just a few months on the job Tracy Rieger has managed to make a positive impact in the community in more ways than one.
“I think the number that Tracy’s worked with, that she’s gotten housed from the unhoused position, is seven or eight as of today,” said Barnes. “That’s something that we are very proud of, the work that she’s done.”
In addition to getting people into safe housing, she’s also working with them to make sure they can keep a roof over their heads by helping them get identification, access to resources, and anything else that will help them land a job. He says that can be the most time-consuming thing about her new position.
“That requires case management. The amount of effort that it takes to have daily contact and get people to do the things necessary and [make the choices necessary] to stay housed, have a landlord satisfied- that’s proven to be incredibly time-consuming,” said Barnes.
Barnes adds that because of Rieger’s institutional knowledge from her previous jobs in the city it’s also been easier for her to connect with and build trust with the homeless population.
The committee did discuss providing Rieger with a pot of money to help pay for things like a rental application or licensing fee. Barnes says a petty cash fund was one of the first things she asked for, something that initially puzzled him, and led to an unexpected response. “I’m like ‘for what?’ and she said ‘for one, McDonald’s cheeseburgers. Sometimes if I want to sit down and talk to someone if they haven’t eaten, I need to be able to feed them.”
Rieger said she’s also used that cash to pay for housing applications which can run from $25 to $100. Barnes noted that she’s also used her connections with landlords to make sure those individuals qualify for the housing they are applying for before that money is spent.
That money is included in the city’s proposed 2023 budget, which is set for a public hearing Tuesday evening and will likely see its final vote next week. Alder Lisa Rasmussen, who sits on both the Public Health and Safety and Finance Committees, notes that the city can consider replenishing that fund next summer if need be.
Rieger was not in attendance during Monday’s meeting because of a scheduling conflict, but Barnes said she will be at future meetings to continue providing updates to the committee. Some on the committee also suggested getting updated census numbers from local shelters and other outreach centers as part of their monthly meetings. Mayor Katie Rosenberg said her office has also taken several requests from groups willing to partner with Rieger to provide more assistance or case management.
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