Last month, a study done by the Coalition for the Homeless found nearly 600 people unsheltered in Louisville. Councilman Jacorey Arthur calls that number unacceptable.
Last month, a study done by the Coalition for the Homeless found nearly 600 people unsheltered in Louisville. Councilman Jacorey Arthur calls that number unacceptable.
Last month, a study done by the Coalition for the Homeless found nearly 600 people unsheltered in Louisville. Councilman Jacorey Arthur calls that number unacceptable.
Louisville Metro Councilman Jacorey Arthur, D-District 4, believes there's a way to be on the forefront of addressing homelessness.
"Oftentimes, we look at what other cities are doing. We need to be leading, not following other cities," Arthur told WLKY.
For the Simmons College professor, it means changing the current law to allow more places to take in those who need shelter. On Thursday, Metro Council will vote on a resolution paving the way to change regulations regarding homeless shelters.
According to a January count done by the Coalition for the Homeless, 581 people were unsheltered last month. That's compared to the same survey done in 2022, which recorded the number at 243.
The proposed resolution would allow businesses and churches to shelter the homeless, helping take the burden off the already full homeless shelters. Arthur also wants city-owned buildings to be considered.
"We have libraries, we have community centers, we have other buildings with electricity with heating and cooling and water that sit empty overnight, or they sit empty on the weekends or both," Arthur said.
And while it could be months before the resolution becomes law, if it becomes law, Arthur says he's already garnered support from those who said they would be willing to open their doors.
Pastor John Bell with First Lutheran Church on Broadway told WLKY, "Our shelters are maxed out and there are still hundreds and hundreds of unhoused people needing shelter every night. There are 750 spots available for them, which means the rest are forced to sleep outside. We need to do everything we can to help them find shelter."
It's why Arthur is making the resolution, an effort to reimagine how to care for the city's homeless, a priority during his last year on Metro Council.
"We have so many buildings in this city that could be used as shelter. We got to open up our hearts and we could open the doors," he said.
Metro Council will vote Thursday on the resolution to request the Planning Commission review those regulations. The committee has 120 days to provide a formal recommendation, and then, council could change the law.