Marathon County is looking to hire its own homelessness coordinator

That's the next stage in the city/county's push to adopt the La Crosse model of treating homelessness. But that and funding for the new homeless shelter will need to survive the county budget process

Marathon County is hoping to create a new position: A public health coordinator whose main role will be to help address homelessness in Marathon County.

That coordinator will be funded by not funding another position in the health department, meaning no new levy dollars will be spent on the position.

It’s one more step in Marathon County’s efforts to push for a model of addressing homelessness similar to La Crosse, which recently introduced its Pathways Home program. The position was approved by the committee 4-0.

Those efforts so far include Marathon County contributing up to $200,000 toward an effort by the Wausau Police Department to set up a temporary shelter at First United Methodist Church. County leaders hope to use some of that unspent money to help pay for the new contracted shelter with Bridge Street Mission.

But that will all depend on how the county’s budget will shake out.