Northern Kentucky groups tackle rising homelessness with innovative solutions
In the past year, the number of our chronically homeless neighbors has increased by about 200%. While shelters and other resources are making great strides to meet the need while bearing the brunt of Kentucky’s criminalization of homelessness, their work cannot be done alone.
A lengthy anti-crime law known as the “Safer” Kentucky Act took effect in July of 2024. A portion of the law prohibits “unlawful camping,” making it illegal to sleep or camp on a street, sidewalk, area under a bridge or underpass, path, park, cemetery, or other area designated for use by pedestrians or vehicles.
The enforcement of this new law varies widely across Kentucky, reflecting attitudes of local governments and police departments. According to a state report published in October, 37 charges have been filed so far in Jefferson County and 29 have been filed in Fayette County. In Northern Kentucky, two charges have been filed in Kenton County and three charges have been filed in Campbell County.
“Thankfully in Northern Kentucky, we have a great relationship with our police departments,” Welcome House CEO Daney Amrine said. “They will call us because we can help resolve an encampment peacefully.”
Welcome House is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Covington that provides a wide range of services and programs to address homelessness across the state.
“We serve 40 different counties across the state and about 5,000 individuals a year,” Amrine said.
Housing is the first priority for Welcome House. They get folks experiencing homelessness into safe and consistent housing and then they’re able to address the root causes of homelessness through case management, securing necessary documents, workforce preparation and more.
Welcome House has seen a clear need for their services in the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly in rural areas.
“We are seeing people who are transgender, we are seeing people who are LGBTQ+ identifying and struggling in those communities because there’s not any services or support for them,” Armine said.
She recalled the experience of a former client who had been sleeping in a park when they were physically assaulted for being trans.
“They were very, very scared, very nervous about asking for help or getting help… Our street outreach teams were able to work with that individual and unpack some of that stuff, get them connected with a primary care physician.”
Fast forward to today and that person has consistent housing and gainful employment thanks to services from Welcome House.
Armine said she’s seen a small increase in the number of LGBTQIA+ people experiencing homelessness, and a solution is clear. “I think we can end homelessness in Kentucky, 100%. I believe that with every fiber of my being, I know we could, but we need housing.”
The Kentucky Housing Corporation, founded by the General Assembly in 1972, found each of Kentucky’s 120 counties have housing gaps. According to a recent report, parts of Northern Kentucky like Boone County have a 22% gap between the number of units needed and the number of current households.
While organization’s like Welcome House are able to provide long-term solutions, there’s also a need for low barrier, emergency shelters in the region. That’s where the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky comes in. Executive Director Kim Webb leads the nonprofit in its mission to provide life saving, life changing shelter and services to adults experiencing homelessness.
Webb said the shelter’s low-barrier, non-discriminatory approach has been a “natural fit” for serving LGBTQ+ folks, as they don’t require background checks, sobriety, or compliance with certain conditions to access services.
Webb also noted the number of overnight shelter guests who report being homeless for the first time was up to 44% between July of 2023 and June of 2024. They also saw a 63% increase in people accessing their shower and laundry services. In that same time period, they had 1,700 clinic visits with urgent medical needs.
Meanwhile, public funds for these services are lacking, before and after the passing of new anti-homeless legislation. 87% of the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky’s funds come from private donors.
“120 counties in our state require an animal shelter to be taxpayer funded,” Webb said. “And there’s no such requirements for human beings, right? Think about that.”