Louisville clears homeless camps downtown, residents offered shelters and treatment

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Homeless camps in downtown Louisville have been cleared out by the city. Notice was given three weeks ago that the camps in an eight-block area would be dismantled and residents would need to go to area shelters.

And just after 8 a.m. Wednesday, crews moved in with dump trucks and heavy equipment to places like the Interstate 65 overpass at Jefferson and Jackson streets. Crews scooped up boxes, blankets and pallets left behind and put them in garbage trucks to be hauled away.

The sidewalk was cleaned by midday and looked much different from when tents and furniture previously marked the spaces people called home. The houseless left to find new places to go preserved what belongings they could.

"My brother's going to take them," said Mary Anne Bennett, a woman who said she's has been houseless off an on for "a while." "He's going to take all our stuff, and we're just taking our necessary (items)."

She would have preferred to stay put.

"I think if your area is kept spotless ... you should be able to maintain where you're at," Bennett said.

Outreach groups were on-site helping people living in the camps pack up what belongings they could. The city gave a 21-day notice on the clearing, which is part of a long-term plan meant to address homelessness and aims to get people into permanent housing.

Bennett hopes to get into an apartment but will otherwise go to Wayside Christian Mission for shelter. She would be one of 12 placed in shelter according to the city, with another four agreeing to go into the Healing Place. About 40 people were relocated in total.

"This was a lot of planning and a lot of our organizations working together to collaborate and work as one," said Tameka Laird, director of resilience and community services.

The city and outreach groups credit that collaboration for what they consider a successful effort.

IMAGES | City of Louisville cleans up homeless camps downtown

Tiny Herron, with NuLease Medical Solutions, said having service providers involved, offering support and building rapport is key to getting houseless people the help they need.

"I think out of all the camp clearings I've been a part of — and I've been a part of every single one done in the city — this has been the best one. The coordinated efforts shined today," Herron said. "Outreach is boots on the ground, every day, meeting people in their need where they are. For some of those, that rapport and relationship has been built. It is very easy for them to take part in services. For some of them, there is no trust in the system."

That relationship-building with the houseless population is something Laird said they plan to continue prioritizing.

"We have a high frequency of mental health, and we also have substance abuse," Laird said. "So when you think about relationships and building them and making those connections, that has to happen repeatedly. So in order for us to make sure they will accept these services, we have to work on it."

St. John Center Outreach Manager T. J. Martin was at the clearings to help place people into appropriate housing including shelters, a substance abuse facility or a mental health facility. But the center believes the problem will continue unless more affordable housing is offered.

"People need affordable housing," Martin said. "That's the main problem in the city. We don't have enough affordable housing. You know, people are in the streets because they feel like they don't have a place to go. I don't think anybody would just say, 'Hey, I just want to live on the streets.' So the reason we're doing the clearance is to help people get off the streets and to other living situations."

The St. John Center said landlords should step up and lower rent to give people what they need.

Related Stories: