MacArthur Square death, homeless population rising, group says | FOX6 News Milwaukee

We're back to the levels we were covered at in 2019. The pre-pandemic levels the city doesn't want to see

homeless

ness and addiction continue to rise, the organization hopes to address both here in Milwaukee, it's our big story tonight at nine. The

milwaukee

county medical examiner's office believes a

homeless

man found dead in

macarthur

square

on tuesday died of an overdose. He is now raising questions about what is being done to help those experiencing homelessness. our sam kramer joins us live tonight in

milwaukee

. sam one

group

says

this problem is only getting worse hi steph street angels outreach, which actually comes to

macarthur

square

three times a week to provide services,

says

it has seen about a 10 per cent increase in the number of people living on the streets of Milwaukee, up 10 percent from this point last year. number is more than 200 people tonight hope worst case scenario will show others that services and help are available, tucked away from the noise of downtown milwaukee, scattered tents show the growth of the homeless

population

of the milwaukee county in macarthur square between 20 and 30 people stay here wednesday night, we return to the levels we were previously covered in 2019. although in the shadows of the milwaukee county courthouse, the extension specialist for Street Angels homeless Dan Grellinger says this community can no longer ignore this problem. struggling people are struggling to pay their bills inflation has increased evictions have increased and that contributes to housing insecurity on tuesday attention on the homeless returned to the square when milwaukee police were called in for a

death

investigation the milwaukee county medical examiner's office identified the victim as 42-year-old chad leachman, a report says firefighters found him in a tent with a glass tube syringe and other items around from her body.

Grelinger says his team tries to connect people with resources including drug treatment, but that has proven difficult, nothing can be done. for them they don't want for themselves so it's kind of a waiting game to see when they're ready for recovery, does that make that a challenge? Yes, Milwaukee County's Housing Services Division also sent a statement to Fox 6 saying the county and its partners remain fully committed to the goal of ensuring that unsheltered homelessness is brief and rare whenever possible. . Now the medical examiner's office says Leachman's cause of

death

is pending as they wait for a toxicology report.

Tomorrow the old people from the street will return here to the square and offer their pain. counseling in addition to your normal services for the people who stay here, we will be live tonight in downtown milwaukee sam cramer

fox6

news

very good sam, thanks for that