Homelessness is an issue that several communities are facing, and Stevens Point Mayor Mike Wiza wants to make sure the unhoused are met with understanding.
Wiza recently met with several unhoused people in the city's downtown area, after he said a friend of his had been making generalizations. He said he and his friend spoke with them about how the city can help.
He said that people become unhoused for a variety of reasons, and that while there are some that cause issues, he said most of them just want to get out of their situations, and that people should not put stereotypes on them.
Wiza said, "So it's not an easy solution, and I think that's really what I want people to take away, is that first of all, these are human beings. They all have different stories. Some good, some bad, and they are a part of our community."
In just a few hours, Wiza said his friend changed his mind, and had a better understanding of what they unhoused go through. He encouraged unhoused people to use all of the resources that the city has available like the cooling centers, and mental health services.
