Options being explored for Community Inn

During the summer, Ginny Ramsey, co-founder of the Catholic Action Center and The Community Inn, proposed moving the inn to the Lorillard Lofts.

The Lorillard Lofts would be more than just a homeless shelter; it also would serve as a resource center for the homeless population, including a respite care center for people who are discharged from the hospital but have no place to go.

But neighborhoods near the failed condo development on Leestown Road pushed back. Mayor Jim Gray announced in October that the city would not support moving The Community Inn to Lorillard, saying there were too many questions and too much opposition.

The city has given the inn a list of multiple sites that are zoned for a shelter. Ramsey said they are exploring those locations. Meanwhile, the appeal of the revocation of Community Inn's permit is pending in the courts.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has initiated an investigation into whether the city violated federal fair housing laws when it revoked the inn's permit.

Martha Webster, who lives on Delaware Avenue near The Community Inn, said she feels sorry for whoever becomes the inn's new neighbors if it does move.

"I don't wish it on anybody else," she said. "I don't wish this on any neighborhood."

Ramsey, meanwhile, said she was committed to helping and protecting Lexington's homeless.

"We accept people where they are and help them get where they need to go," Ramsey said. "Granted, it's not always pretty. It's always going to be messy. At the same time, they are human beings. They are all human beings that need care, support and accountability."

This story was originally published November 24, 2013 at 9:31 PM with the headline "Options being explored for Community Inn."