Homeless camps are illegal in KY. How much does Lexington spend on camp cleanups?
Lexington spent more than $50,000 to clean-up 28 outdoor homeless camps over 12 months.
The city spent $51,805 from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, the city’s fiscal year, according to data released Tuesday.
That’s an increase over the prior year when the city spent $39,276 cleaning up 25 camps, said Jeff Herron, homeless prevention manager for the city during a Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council Social Services and Public Safety Committee meeting.
On average, those sites cost $1,850 per cleanup, according to city data.
Those costs will likely increase next year. A statewide ban on outdoor camping, which began July 15, will likely mean more camp cleanups over the next 12 months and more money spent by taxpayers, Herron said.
The controversial outdoor camping ban was part of sweeping crime bill passed by the Kentucky General Assembly earlier this year.
It bans people from trying to sleep or camp in specified public and private spaces that are not designated for camping, including on sidewalks or roadsides, under bridges, or in parks, parking lots, garages or doorways. Sleeping in a vehicle could count as camping, as could sleeping in tents, huts or other “temporary shelters.”
As of the end of August, Lexington police had arrested one person and cited 24 people for sleeping outside. Since July 1, 30 people had called the city’s 311 line, its general phone line, to report homeless camps, according to city data.
The city only pays for cleanups on city property, Herron said.
A lot of times when the city is alerted of a camp, when staff arrive, no one is there, he said.
Of the 28 camps, only nine had people staying in them. There are areas that have had repeat camps, he said. At those sites, the city has posted signs to warn people public camping is not allowed and items could be removed without notice, Herron said.
City officials and outreach workers refer those people to services, but the city can’t force people into shelters or other services, city officials have repeatedly said. Nine people accepted services. Of those, four are now permanently housed. Eight people declined services, he said.
“We are aggressively pursuing other shelter options,” Herron said. The city is in the midst of a study to determine gaps in the city’s shelter system. That study won’t be completed until spring 2025.
More homelessness in Lexington
Every year, the city conducts an annual homeless count called a point-in-time count. That count, which is required under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, gives a snapshot into how many people in Lexington are unhoused.
In January 2024, the city counted 825 people, up slightly from the 815 who were counted in 2023.
But more people were sleeping outside in 2024, he said.
In 2023 there were 38 who were counted as unsheltered. That number nearly tripled to 82 people in 2024, Herron said.
The point-in-time count is just a snapshot. The city’s data shows the total amount of people served in shelters and other services per year, he said.
“Our local system serves 5,000 people annually over all systems types,” Herron said. The city is in the midst of a shelter and transitional housing study to determine gaps in the city’s shelter system.
Other community estimates put that count at over 2,000. That count includes people in addiction treatment, hospitals and at the Fayette County Detention Center. The HUD count does not include those people, he said.
“It’s not an apples to apples comparison,” he said of the HUD count and the community count.
The city will soon have more money to address homelessness. In past years, Herron’s office received $750,000. Beginning July 1, it will receive nearly double that to $1.4 million.
The Lexington council passed a resolution last year requiring percentage of its total revenues go toward homeless services.
Thanks to American Rescue Plan Act and other federal funding, the city has spent $44 million over the past five years to address homelessness.
