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Residents, people with lived experience urge more affordable housing and services at Fond du Lac council meeting
Summary
Multiple public commenters, including people with recent experience of homelessness and advocates, urged the council to expand affordable housing, mental-health and addiction services, and to use existing funds or designate staff to address homelessness.
Dozens of residents and people with lived experience spoke during the public-comment portion of the Fond du Lac City Council meeting on Feb. 12, urging the council to increase affordable housing, expand supportive services for mental health and addiction, and to take a more proactive, data-driven approach.
Why it matters: Commenters said homelessness is driven by a mix of mental-health needs, substance use, high housing costs, and insufficient local services. Speakers asked the city to coordinate with county agencies, designate a staff person to focus on housing, consider community-built small-home solutions, and use existing funding streams where possible.
Details and testimony: Amy (identified at the meeting as speaking on behalf of Brandy Marion) read a statement that said mental health issues, substance abuse, high housing costs, and limited supports make escaping homelessness difficult and called for more accessible comprehensive services. Jacob Glenell (public commenter) said he was newly homeless and described a conflict between attending the meeting and keeping a shelter bed—saying attending would mean sacrificing a bed because of shelter check-in policies.
Other commenters urged the council to coordinate city and county responsibility for housing, designate a city staff position to work on housing solutions, pursue community development models (including volunteer-built small homes), and use available funds—one resident specifically asked why $1,500,000 reported as opioid-related city funds could not be used to address homelessness. Charlotte Trotter urged council members to rely on professional service providers and data when crafting policy responses.
What’s next: The comments were part of the public-comment period; council members acknowledged receiving the testimony and the mayor/president moved to the next agenda items. No formal action or funding decisions were made during the meeting.
Ending: Speakers and advocates asked for follow-up and more direct engagement with unhoused residents; several asked that future policymaking be informed by people with lived experience and by better local data.
