LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A woman who moved to Louisville last year said the city's growing homeless camps are putting hurdles in her path.
"I am scared for my life and I am scared something's going to happen," said Ashley Williams, a North Carolina native who moved to Louisville in January 2020 for spinal cord injury research.
Williams was injured in a car crash as a teenager, paralyzing her.
"I was fortunate enough to get accepted into a program to help quadriplegics possibly work toward a cure of walking again and whatever recovery they can come up with," she said.
Williams spends several days each week at Frazier Rehab Institute working with her program, one she speaks very highly of. She said most days, as long as the weather is nice, she uses her wheelchair to get there.
"The program actually gave me an apartment that a grant pays for, and it's really close from where I go," she said.
Ashley Williams
Williams said she likes her apartment but said more than once she's had uncomfortable encounters outside.
"People will sleep in front of my door or people put their tents on the sidewalks, and I can't get around on the sidewalks," she said. "Sometimes I have to roll in the road."
Williams said she often can't sit outside without worrying someone will approach her. She said she's had encounters in different areas near downtown.
"A lot of people are mentally ill or they're on drugs, and there's not much we can really do about it," she said. "Somebody on a bicycle chased me and was saying all kinds of sexual comments toward me — very uncomfortable — and it happened on multiple occasions. That guy followed me a few different times."
According to Julia Dake with Louisville's Office of Resilience and Community Services, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, the office limited to camp cleanings instead of camp clearings to limit the spread of the virus.
Dake said the office is currently reviewing the next steps and concerns can be reported to Metro311.
In a statement, she says:
"As a community, Louisville attempts to address homelessness in a coordinated and comprehensive manner.
That's why our focus -- and the target of our Homeless Task Force, Metro Government's homeless initiatives funding and new Homeless Services division -- has been on helping community partners create and sustain the direct services that provide people living unsheltered with the tools they need to change their lives for the better.
We work tirelessly with the Coalition for Homeless, the Continuum of Care and its members and outreach groups to provide the residents of these homeless encampments with resources and services including help obtaining medical care, making referrals to shelter, and providing other supportive services such as behavioral and mental health counseling, and drug and alcohol addiction assessments."
Part of the statement goes on to read:
"It will take all of us in this compassionate community – from Metro government to individuals to places of faith to businesses and neighborhoods – to make a real impact. Find ways to plug in at the Coalition for Homeless website, or one of the many street outreach teams."
Williams said she hopes a middle ground can be found.
"I understand COVID is very serious and I understand all that but I feel like there's a better way to go about it," she said.
Williams said she sent an email several days ago to the mayor's office asking for help and sharing her concerns. As of Friday afternoon, she said she has not heard back.
On Tuesday, WDRB News asked Mayor Greg Fischer about Williams' concerns.
"She should expect a response to that. Our office number is 574-2003 as well. That's another way to get through," he said. "No. 1 thing is have somebody talk to her to really understand what the challenges are so that we can then try to alleviate what that is. If there's some things the city needs to get to work on, we need to do that as well but get to the root of the problem.
"The American Rescue Plan investments are coming out. One of the primary things we're going to invest in is a holistic, systemic response to homelessness, because clearly, what's taken place not just here in Louisville but around the whole country right now is not working."
Nina Moseley, chief operating officer at Wayside Christian Mission, said the shelter has several beds available right now, including in the low-barrier shelter. She is encouraging people who need a place to stay to come to the shelter.
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