GREEN BAY (NBC26) — Last week, a community event brought people together to discuss homelessness solutions in Brown County. Meanwhile, people experiencing homelessness are still struggling to survive outdoors.
“There’s really no where to really go," Anthony Powerton, who's experiencing homelessness in Green Bay, says. "Everyday is a struggle."
Every day, Powerton is faced with the same question: where can he sleep?
“In a bush, under a tree, under a bridge," he says. "No matter where we go, everyone has to hide from the police.”
Powerton and his friend, Boston Viano, say they spend two hours each evening trying to find a safe space to sleep.
“The other day we were sleeping under the bridge, and we almost got egged because somebody thought it was funny to throw eggs at us," Viano says.
David Walker Morency, who is also experiencing homelessness in Green Bay, makes sure he can quickly pack up all of his belongings.
“We just want to be left alone," he says. "We’re not trying to cause people problems.”
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At the community meeting last week, people asked community leaders about this issue.
“Where would you like them to go?" one public commenter said.
Green Bay Police Chief Chris Davis said while the issue is complicated, they cannot allow people to sleep overnight in public parks, as it can damage the spaces.
"We can't just eliminate any kind of accountability," he said.
Jeremy Pingel, one of the City's homeless outreach case coordinators, says Green Bay's low-barrier, emergency shelter is only open from November– April.
"That means there are people we encounter during the warmer months, for whom we simply do not have an immediate, emergency shelter option that fits their circumstances," he said.
Pingel said at the meeting that a recent Brown County count found 556 people experiencing homelessness– 206 of which were unsheltered.
Powerton says he was at the meeting and hopes the support and attention continues.
"I’m just hoping that this actually changes everything," he says.
Both Powerton and Vianno, who have experienced homelessness before, say it's getting harder to get by. They say they need more resources, support and compassion.
“Not every homeless person is a junkie, or a bad person," Viano says. "Just because I’m homeless doesn’t mean people should look at me a different way. We’re still human, we still believe everything everybody else deserves.”
Another meeting is expected to be scheduled later this year when local leaders will present possible solutions.
