In Louisville Ky, funds from the American Rescue Plan may help address issues of the unsheltered population.
As the country faces concerns of mass evictions and cities have been in conflict with homeless citizens and their advocates over encampments, a new opportunity has emerged and the city of Louisville, Ky is looking at progressive models to address the issues of the unsheltered population head-on. As the city seeks to address the issue, outreach teams who are in daily contact with the unhoused population are poised to provide the best insight on what help is needed and where.
Since April the city of Louisville had suspended their clearing of houseless encampments. Now with only a few days notice they will move in a different direction and begin assessing camps for 21 day notices of clearings.
Using an undetermined amount of the $388 million in funding money from the American Rescue Plan Act - city officials made several proposals in recent meetings with some council members and outreach groups. One such proposal included setting up a "safe outdoor space" which is an allotted space for camps.
Another proposal was modeled after an outreach group's successful endeavor of sheltering people in motels and hotels during inclement weather during extreme temperatures this past February.
Mutual aid group Feed Louisville has already been working to get people housed including matching 6 individuals and a family of 6 with housing in the last month. They have submitted a Housing First proposal for the ARP funding that would immediately house 1,500 individuals or families.
Feed Louisville outreach team member, Brynne Green, leaves a meal at a tent door in an isolated spot in Louisville, Ky. Though there are many locations where unsheltered people congregate creating established camps, this team is also familiar with more of the isolated people and able to connect with them on a personal level to get them the resources they need.
Louisville, Ky. Friday, June 18, 2021.
Atah Love stands near his dining table and a collection of other items he’s collected while living on the streets. The Feed Louisville outreach team helped him find a location that would accept his recent housing voucher and are now helping him move his belongings into his apartment. Helping move him in will take several days of work as the team is limited in resources and helping multiple people each day. Louisville, Ky. Saturday, July 24, 2021.
The Feed Louisville outreach team shows up to help Atah move his belongings into his newly acquired apartment. The outreach team has been able to help match 6 individuals and a family of 6 with resources for housing in the last month. Louisville, Ky. Saturday, July 24, 2021.
Atah Love, a newly housed resident, looks on as a friend and outreach leader Donny Green help load his furniture and belongings to move from his location under an overpass to a newly acquired apartment using a city issued housing voucher. The Feed Louisville outreach team has been instrumental in developing good relationships with landlords and helping match people with housing vouchers to spaces that will accept the vouchers to move people into housing faster. Louisville, Ky. Saturday, July 24, 2021.
Atah Love, a newly housed resident, has faced health challenges in 2021 stemming from an incident with Metro Police that included a severe burn from a sterno.
Moving into an apartment will allow him access to clean water and the ability to keep his wound clean and tended to ward off additional complications. Louisville, Ky. Saturday, July 24, 2021.
Feed Louisville outreach team members, Donny Green and Camila Jasis-Wallace deliver Atah’s furniture to his new apartment. Some unsheltered citizens receive housing vouchers but finding locations that accept the vouchers is an additional hurdle. Feed Louisville has developed good relationships with local landlords that help match these housing options to the people who need them to get people into homes faster. Louisville, Ky. Saturday, July 24, 2021.
Feed Louisville has been given access to a storage unit where donations from the past have accumulated. Outreach member Camila Jasis-Wallace climbs over the mountain of discarded items searching for anything they can use to help newly housed residents. They have a limited time before the rent is discontinued on the storage unit to pull out usable items and distribute them to people who can use them. This storage unit has been infested with mice so many items (mattresses, clothes, couches) are now unusable. Louisville, Ky. Saturday, July 24, 2021.
Donny Green, co-founder of Feed Louisville, delivers dining tables to two residents housed in the same complex.
In the last month the Feed Louisville outreach team has helped move 6 individuals and a family of 6 into housing. They continue deliveries of furniture or other household items as they find them in the storage unit or through other channels of donations. Louisville, Ky. Saturday, July 24, 2021.
Outreach team member Camila Jasis-Wallace is invited into the apartment of newly housed resident, Eddie, for a visit after delivering a small dining table to him. He is fostering two kittens that were found on the streets and need a clean and safe space to stay. He has offered to foster as many cats as needed to help out. Louisville, Ky. Saturday, July 24, 2021.
Eddie received housing this month after a months long application process for a voucher. He notes that in the past he didn’t have interest in moving off the streets but acknowledges he isn’t getting any younger. He is fostering two kittens who were found on the streets and need a clean and safe space to stay. He has offered to foster as many cats as needed to help out. Louisville, Ky. Saturday, July 24, 2021.