At Holt Park and Ride, WisDOT to remove abandoned property but give people more time to find housing

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Parked next to a line of trailers, a red Ford SUV sat in the back of the Holt Avenue Park and Ride Thursday. All of its windows were busted out, and the backseat was filled to the roof with clothes and blankets.

A woman who only wanted to share her first name, Kate, said she's the vehicle's owner. Kate said Thursday someone had broken out all the windows, and she isn't sure why. It was the latest setback for Kate, who said she's been living at the Holt Avenue Park and Ride on-and-off for the last four years.

"At least I have the car," she said. "I could be sleeping in the tents. I could be under a viaduct."

Thursday was the deadline for people living at the park-and-ride to ensure all their belonging were accounted for. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) oversees the lot, which sits between I-43/94 and the intersection of W. Holt Ave. and S. 6th St. 

Trevor Fannon, a WisDOT spokesperson, said the agency would be removing abandoned property from the park-and-ride. In an email Thursday afternoon, Fannon said WisDOT was still in the process of identifying and labeling abandoned items.

Fannon emphasized the agency would not be removing people, and he said WisDOT's priority was working with Milwaukee County agencies to find stable housing for the people living on the lot. 

Eric Collins-Dyke, a deputy administrator for Milwaukee County Housing Services, confirmed the county was working with the state to ensure neither people nor belongings they needed would be removed.

"We've been assured by WisDOT that we will have more time to work on housing and indoor placements for everyone we are working with at the Park and Rides," Collins-Dyke said.

The situation has been somewhat contentious for some time. Neighbors and people who frequent the park-and-ride have complained about the presence of tents, trailers and scrap. 

In December, the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) gave out tickets and tow warnings only to later void the tickets after realizing city ordinances don't apply to the park-and-ride.

Kate said she did not want sympathy from the public, but she added many of the lot's residents did not want to be there and had encountered tough circumstances.

"Some people just need medical care. Some people need a place to sleep," she said. "Some people are going through a divorce, and they're losing everything they have."

Kate she she's had contact with county staffers who've visited the lot, but staying in touch has been a challenge.

"I've talked to several people, and they're like, 'OK we'll check into it.' But then, I don't hear anything," she said. "So, really, I don't know if I'm getting that help. It's not like I have an availability of a phone all the time."

On Thursday, a man named Don, who declined to be interviewed, said several of the trailers belonged to him. He said he was hoping to secure housing through the county, but it wasn't clear how he'd be able to maintain all of his property. 

Even for those who do get through, nothing is guaranteed. Jeffrey Parker said he's been at the park-and-ride for the last three weeks after a dispute with a new landlord and a pricey stay at a motel. He said he did have a caseworker, but the first offered solution wasn't going to work because he refuses to give up his dog, Otto.

"Yeah, you couldn't take the dog," he said. "And I was worried about all the tools and stuff we had."

Jeffrey Parker has been living at the Holt Ave. Park and Ride for three weeks. He's turned down one housing offer so far because he doesn't want to part with his dog, Otto.

Eva Welch, co-founder of the homeless outreach group, Street Angels, said the process of securing permanent housing is difficult and lengthy.

"We've known people that have had a housing voucher and just couldn't find a landlord that would rent to them," she said. "Because of their not having any previous rental history, maybe not having employment."

Welch said the problem was only getting worse. She said Street Angels made contact with 525 homeless individuals in 2022, estimating that's a small share of the county's overall homeless population. That number grew to 769 in 2023, a 46% increase, and Welch said Street Angels is on pace for a similar increase this year.

She added the people in the park-and-ride were relatively better off because of the attention their plight was receiving.

"We have people that are sleeping outside without vehicles, without campers, without tents, under bridges, on the sidewalk," she said. "And, currently, they're not really receiving those services because the focus is on the Park and Ride."

Back at the park-and-ride, Kate said she was hopeful she would soon be among those getting attention from the county. She said some of the lot's residents didn't necessarily want to leave, she was hoping to find permanent housing elsewhere.

"Some of us are struggling just to eat or have water every day. It's not easy," she said. "I wouldn't wish this upon anybody."