LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Lexington faces a growing homelessness crisis as the number of people without shelter continues to rise, compounded by a significant shortage of available beds, according to the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government.
The city needs approximately 500 new shelter beds to address the mounting crisis, officials say.
"We knew that Lexington hasn't expanded shelter beds in a number of years, has seen an increase since the pandemic in homelessness," said Charlie Lanter, Lexington's commissioner of housing advocacy and community development.
The need for increased shelter space stems from a study commissioned by the city through EHI Consultants, according to Jeff Herron, Lexington's homelessness prevention manager.
"We have a need for more permanent solutions," Herron said.
The city's Point-in-Time count revealed 925 people are homeless or unhoused, representing what Lanter describes as a new and emerging type of homelessness.
"It involves single parents with children and people who are more situationally homeless as opposed to chronically homeless," Lanter said.
Winter weather adds urgency to the situation.
"That weather is always hanging over our head," Lanter said. "We actually have our temporary shelter that's going to be opening on or about November 1st."
The temporary winter shelter will operate every night from November 1 to April 1 at a city-owned property on Versailles Road. The facility will provide 216 beds for adults at a cost of more than $2 million, with medical care available on-site.
"We're trying to take people who are otherwise unable to go to other shelters," Lanter said.
As Lanter explains, Lexington's shelter capacity cannot address the current inflow of people needing services.
Councilmember Liz Sheehan agrees the community needs more investment in housing services.
"Helping to provide housing whether it's emergency shelter or long-term stable housing is a part of our responsibility to others in our community," Sheehan said.
"Housing is a basic need and I feel like it's a human right," Sheehan said.
Moving forward, considering the state of homelessness in Lexington, Lanter noted another big factor creating challenges...the government shutdown.
"Looming potential changes with the federal government and how it affects us...because a fair amount of the homeless funding in Lexington does trickle down from the federal government."
