LOUISVILLE, Ky. — While tourists flock to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby, staying in hotels and Airbnb units, there remains a need for more housing for the locals.
Mayor Craig Greenberg's Office told WHAS11 that so far this year, the city has issued 22 notices to clear homeless camps, or what officials call "relocations."
It comes as the community prepares for the controversial Safer Kentucky Act to take effect. It's a new state law criminalizing street camping, effectively making living or sleeping on Louisville's streets illegal starting in mid-July.
Supporters say it will push unhoused people to seek shelter and treatment, but opponents worry it'll open a pathway to issuing fines and even jail time.
WHAS11 spoke to Hope Turner, a Louisville homeowner who found herself suddenly houseless four years ago for perspective.
"I worked all my life -- I never saw that coming to me when it happened, but it happened," she said. "I abided by the law. I did everything, but life happened to me."
Turner is warning policymakers about the potential devastating impacts of the Safer Kentucky Act, saying if laws like that were in place years ago, she doesn't know where she'd be right now.
"I could have been that one in a tent -- even though I went to a shelter -- it could have been me out there," Turner said. "I wouldn't want nobody locking me up because, 'Oh, she doesn't have anywhere to go.' Everybody has a story. Everybody has a past."
Hope Turner's past included a marriage that went south and a husband who walked out, finding herself as a single mom without a home just before COVID hit.
"I was in a shelter with my kids [for] four to five months," she said.
But that didn't define her future. She eventually got the assistance she needed -- a housing voucher that led to stability.
Now, she's a proud homeowner.
"I had to lose literally everything to get to where I am now, and I'm so grateful," Turner said.
Turner advocates for those who are in her shoes, or worse. She's urging city officials and local law enforcement to be compassionate.
"People need housing. We need programs out here. We don't need nobody trying to lock somebody up for being homeless because like I said, it can happen to anybody," Turner said.
The Safer Kentucky Act's path forward could hinge on a major Supreme Court ruling this summer, deciding on the constitutionality of a city law in Oregon that bans street camping.
"If the court decides the constitutionality of that law, it's going to resolve it for Kentucky as well -- almost certainly," University of Louisville law professor Sam Marcosson said.
The high court's decision, grounded on the fundamental question of whether being homeless reflects someone's status or their conduct, is expected in June.
The majority of the provisions in the Safer Kentucky Act take effect on July 15.
If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact the Coalition for the Homeless here.
To support Hope Turner in her advocacy efforts, click here.
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