Di Tran and Milwaukee Officials: From 5AM Street Cleanups to Citywide Solutions in Reducing Homelessness

Louisville, KY – At 5AM, before most of the city has begun its day, local entrepreneur Di Tran can be found on Bardstown Road, cleaning sidewalks and picking up trash. For him, it is not just about maintaining his business properties but about restoring dignity and showing care for those experiencing homelessness who often seek shelter nearby.

Later that same morning, Di Tran joined community leaders, business owners, and national experts at Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI) for a critical conversation on homelessness. The featured guests were representatives from Milwaukee, Wisconsin — a city that has reduced street homelessness by more than 90% in just five years. Their presence in Louisville was part of an invitation from Metro Government and community partners to share strategies that have already proven successful.

Learning from Milwaukee’s Model

Milwaukee’s approach stands out because it places collaboration at the center. City leaders, service providers, and especially small business owners came together to invest directly in housing solutions. Instead of measuring success by program size or dollars spent, Milwaukee measured only one thing: the number of people successfully moved from the streets into stable housing. Funding and accountability followed those real results.

This results-driven model is why Milwaukee has become a national example, and why Louisville leaders wanted them at the table.

The Role of Small Businesses

As Di Tran emphasized, small business owners live the reality of homelessness every day — in front of their storefronts, on their rental properties, and within their neighborhoods. Many are already stepping in to clean, care, and connect with individuals directly. In Milwaukee, that direct engagement by business owners was not only recognized but supported.

The vision for Louisville is similar: to bring together nonprofits, government, health care providers, and small business owners as equal partners in building real solutions. By doing so, resources can flow more efficiently, and the entire community can share responsibility for results.

A Shared Path Forward

Louisville now has a unique opportunity to follow Milwaukee’s lead:

• Measure what matters – track annual reductions in homelessness, not just dollars spent.
• Support collaboration – ensure businesses, nonprofits, and city leaders work side by side.
• Fund proven results – direct funding to strategies that measurably reduce homelessness year after year.

As Louisville learns from Milwaukee, the hope is to adapt these lessons into local solutions that respect the humanity of every individual while also strengthening neighborhoods and the business community.

As Di Tran put it, “When those who face the problem daily are given the resources and authority to act, we can create faster, more human-centered solutions.”

With the inspiration of Milwaukee’s success and the commitment of local leaders, Louisville has the chance to become the next city where homelessness truly declines — not as an aspiration, but as a measurable, shared achievement.