As many have seen or heard, Marquette University was asked if they could open the Ramada Inn to house the homeless during the cold winter months. Marquette decided that they were "not in a position" to do so. I feel that this was the wrong response, especially coming from a university that has values that support those in need. Many might ask, what is next? The answer lies in Milwaukee County and the administration at Marquette University.

This winter season is expected to be one of the coldest on record. We have already seen cold temperatures and snow come to Wisconsin so far. The issue that Homeless people face in Milwaukee is that shelters do no open until it is 10 degrees outside. Even if there is a snow storm and it is 12 degrees they cannot open to the homeless population of Milwaukee. It is sad that this University will not step up to the challenge and help those in need the most.

Most people say that the Ramada is not in the condition to help those in need. That is far from the truth. The Ramada just closed this October 2018 and the city of Milwaukee offered Marquette the option to open the building up and the city would do the rest. They city would pay for everything as well as have a health inspector come in and make sure everything is in good condition for those who could call it home over the winter.

Marquette University will come up with all the excuses in the world, but the sad part is that those excuses are wrong. They will try to shut this down. The fact of the matter is more needs to be done to help the homeless population in Milwaukee county. This cold winter season is not sustainable living conditions for those living in tents. The cold winter will lead to sickness and even death because they are unable to find adequate shelter.

I am writing this article to inform those about this that more needs to be done. Action needs to be taken and Marquette needs to come to the table and have a discussion with the city about what they can do. If they do not open the Ramada, then Marquette needs to have another plan in place to help the homeless population in the city of Milwaukee.

Finally, if you could sign the petition that I have created to get the word out about this issue, that would be amazing. The link is below! Share it with as many people as you can!

Link: https://www.thepetitionsite.com/654/396/052/tell-marquette-to-use-empty-ramada-to-house-the-homeless/