Lexington moves forward plan for temporary homeless shelter despite pushback
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Lexington plans $2.5M temporary winter shelter at 1306 Versailles Road site.
- Council vote advances plan despite safety concerns from former officials, locals.
- City examined 30+ sites; prior shelter solutions in 2023, 2024 proved inadequate.
Lexington is moving forward with plans for a temporary shelter for the city’s homeless population despite pushback from former elected officials and residents.
In an effort to address the growing homeless population, the city has proposed a temporary shelter for the winter. The city has had to find additional space for homeless people during the winter months for the past two years as the city’s homeless population has grown by 32% since 2020. During cold spells, the three main shelters — The Hope Center, The Salvation Army and Catholic Action Center — fill up and have no additional beds.
This year, the city hopes to construct a temporary shelter on city-owned property at 1306 Versailles Road, the city’s electronic recycling center, near the intersection of Versailles and Red Mile roads. The shelter will serve up to 214 people from Nov. 1 to April 1.
The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council voted Tuesday to move forward two contracts totaling about $2.5 million for EDS Holdco LLC. to construct the temporary shelter, provide staffing, meals and other services. A final vote on the contract is set for Sept. 18.
But several people spoke out against the location of the shelter during a Tuesday work session.
Former Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilwoman Peggy Henson said Versailles Road is an important gateway into the city, and has two schools in the area and several neighborhoods nearby. Henson said she understood how difficult it was to find an appropriate place for a temporary homeless shelter, but this location was particularly dangerous for pedestrians.
“The sidewalks are not adequate for them,” Henson said.
Former Lexington Councilman Richard Moloney said many residents near the site have not been contacted and did not know a shelter would be moving into the neighborhood.
Both Henson and Moloney formerly represented the Versailles Road corridor.
Moloney said Versailles Road already has multiple service providers, including Chrysalis House and Hope Center for Women. Moloney said he just learned about the proposal last week, but said he heard it had been in the planning stages for months.
“There is no plan and you have not talked to the neighborhoods,” Moloney said.
An apartment owner also said they had concerns that the entrance into the property would be on Nancy Hanks Road from Red Mile Road. That means people will have to come in on Red Mile Road, which has no sidewalks. Those people could be walking through private property to get to the shelter, owners said.
Moloney said there are multiple liquor and gas station convenience stores in that area that some people in the shelter may try to visit. But that’s dangerous on a busy road like Versailles Road, he said.
Housing Advocacy and Community Development Commissioner Charlie Lanter said the city looked at more than 30 locations for the temporary shelter.
There is no ideal location, he said.
In 2023, the city built a temporary shelter on Loudon Avenue across from the Hope Center. But that was costly and the neighbors complained. In 2024 the city used hotel rooms but the residents weren’t supervised and caused thousands of dollars in damage the city had to pay for, Lanter said.
“We need to meet the needs of the population and keep the impacts to a bare minium,” Lanter said.
Lanter said they are also trying to figure out a way to move the entrance to the shelter to Versailles Road, but there are problems with that entrance as well.
There are multiple drive-thru banks along Versailles Road people would have to cross in front of to get to the shelter, which is a safety concern. There are also concerns with getting people through 1306 Versailles Road’s parking lot, which also houses other city offices, including Global Lex, the city’s international center.
Councilwoman Jennifer Reynolds, who represents the Versailles Road area, said she only heard about the plans for the temporary shelter recently. Reynolds said she has met with stakeholders in the area and was going to hold a meeting Wednesday.
“I was not in favor of it,” Reynolds said, noting the 11th Council District, which includes Versailles Road, already has multiple housing and other service providers.
Reynolds asked the council to pull the temporary shelter from the council’s agenda, but council members overwhelmingly voted to move the issue forward with Reynolds being the only vote in favor of tabling the issue.
