KY homeless and housing advocacy group holds community conversations

The Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky is staging roundtable talks in communities across the Commonwealth. They come following the mid-July effective date for the Safer Kentucky Act. The multi-faceted anti-crime law includes language to give localities the authority to ban homeless camps. Adrienne Bush is the director of the Homeless and Housing Coalition. She said the first listening-type session was held last week in Paducah.

“Hear from folks in the community, just regular citizens, people who are doing housing work, elected officials. To hear their ideas about what the housing agenda looks like moving forward in this new environment,” said Bush.

Bush said hopefully police in Kentucky communities will initially focus on connecting the homeless with resources. But, she worries about primarily rural areas where the resources currently don’t exist.

While a city like Lexington has offered resources for the homeless and put more money into affordable housing, Bush said discussion is also occurring elsewhere.

“But now out smaller cities are beginning to feel the pinch in all areas of the housing market in ways that they hadn’t had to contend with before,” said Bush.

The next Homeless and Housing Coalition roundtable is scheduled this week in Bowling Green. A session is planned next week in Covington and a third in Morehead.

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