Wausau and Marathon County task force outlines gaps, opens interim shelter while seeking long-term plan

Wausau and Marathon County officials on Monday presented the Joint Marathon County–City of Wausau Homelessness Task Force report, described an interim, county-backed shelter now operating in downtown Wausau and recommended a coordinated, measurable plan to reduce repeated homelessness across the county.

The task force — chaired by Ron Covelli, who presented the report — laid out how local law enforcement, nonprofits and health providers have responded to a growing unhoused population and listed gaps in shelter, transitional housing and behavioral health services that the task force said must be addressed as part of a multisector plan.

The task force’s report matters because the city and county have both committed short-term funding and operational support to keep shelter capacity in place while they seek a long-term provider; the panel recommended a county–city work plan to produce a coordinated roadmap by the first quarter of 2026 with the stated aim of achieving a “functional zero” outcome for repeat homelessness.

Task force chair Ron Covelli said, “Homelessness is a very complex issue with many layers,” and asked the governing bodies to treat the problem as a regional system requiring coordinated services and shared responsibility. Matt Barnes, chief of the Wausau Police Department, reviewed the local history that led to today’s operating model: enforcement of revised park and ramp ordinances, the creation of a community outreach position in 2022 and the city’s use of ARPA funds to shore up 365-day shelter…