Homelessness: Why Louisville’s solution is like redecorating a sinking ship
Louisville Metro Government’s attempt to address homelessness in downtown Louisville by spending at least $3 million on a “safe outdoor space” is a wasteful expenditure equivalent to moving chairs around on the Titanic.
Well intentioned though it may be, this outdoor space and the money wasted on it would not be the right step toward providing a solution to help increasing numbers of people who need affordable, permanent housing.
The proposed outdoor campsite would temporarily house 40 to 50 people. That doesn’t come close to properly assisting the estimated 1,071 people who are homeless in Louisville on any given day. Those are 2019 statistics cited by Know Homelessness, a Louisville-based initiative created to increase understanding and awareness of homelessness in Louisville and Southern Indiana. Since the onset of the pandemic, that number likely has spiked.
Instead of spending $3 million on the outdoor temporary housing space, why not allocate those funds to existing organizations that have established programs in place to provide permanent housing for people? Additional dollars for their proven programs would get more people into stable living situations more quickly.
Better yet, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and the Louisville Metro Council need to step up and allocate a significant amount of the $388 million in American Rescue Plan Act federal relief money to provide permanent housing solutions and needed support services for the homeless.
The ramifications for finding affordable housing for the homeless are significant — for the people themselves and for our community. Our elected leaders should focus on helping people in need instead of pushing them from one site to another. Advocates for helping the homeless repeatedly point out that providing people with permanent housing is a critical first step to resolving homelessness
Many people are one serious illness, one bad choice, one unfortunate job loss away from being homeless. All homeless people do not fall into the category of those with mental health challenges. To reduce homelessness in our community, we need to understand the challenge and take action once informed. Research cited by Know Homelessness, which is an initiative of Louisville-based Access Ventures, states that:
• 80% of homeless people are temporarily homeless because of some sudden change in their lives;
• 45% of homeless people have worked in the previous 30 days;
• 50% of homeless women and children are escaping domestic violence.
True, there is a segment of homeless people who have mental health issues and require more intensive support services. Yet many homeless people in Louisville are hard-working people who are down on their luck and wound up in an unfortunate situation — often beyond their control.
We need to rescue people who need a hand up to get out of dire circumstances.
Sure, there is talk of more programs on the way in follow up to the proposed campsite. But unfortunately it’s too little too late. We don’t need to put a Bandaid on a hemorrhage. And that’s what the outdoor space would be.
While it’s good to review what works in other cities, we need to make plans for what is right for Louisville and be a leader in resolving homelessness. Experience has taught me that the appropriate response must engage multiple assets jointly to restore homeless people. We must get parties knowledgeable and passionate about resolving the homelessness challenge around a table to join forces, support existing successful programs, and bring lasting stability to those who are suffering. This needs to happen today.
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