The nonprofit Social Justice Center (SJC) has received a warning from the Madison City Attorney’s Office to reduce “nuisance activity” around its east side property or face enforcement action by the city to reduce the presence of the center’s often homeless population, the Wisconsin State Journal reports.
The news follows an increase in neighbors’ phone calls to Madison police regarding the center at 1202 Williamson St., which prompted a meeting between members of the SJC board and city officials in early August.
Assistant City Attorney Jennifer Zilavy said the calls concerned open-air drug use, public urination and defecation, needles, trash and debris on the ground and people sleeping on or near the property.
Zilavy wrote a letter to the SJC conveying the city’s expectation that the nonprofit take “immediate and concrete steps to eliminate or at least substantially reduce the nuisance activity” associated with the center. She added that “failure to do so may necessitate further action.”
“The city will do what it can to assist in this effort,” she wrote, “but we are limited in what we can do given SJC owns the property.”
While Madison officials previously recommended the center put up “no trespassing” signs around the property — which would allow police to react to reports of people on the property when the center is closed — the idea was shut down by SJC organizers.
Brenda Konkel, SJC treasurer and board member, said hundreds of people routinely enter and exit the buildings at various times throughout the day, and “some of them belong to organizations … they’re not wanting to have their members, who are coming here to volunteer, be scrutinized by cops because they’re standing in the parking lot.”
MPD has received 130 calls since January to respond to activity around the center which have resulted in 24 police actions and 13 arrests. Police reportedly responded to 24 incidents at the center in 2024 and 11 in 2023, as well.
