LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On Monday, Arthur Street Hotel celebrated its one year anniversary, marking the occasion with a colorful birthday cake.
Faces old and new gathered in the front lobby; staff, residents and one man who already moved on and out.
"The housing thing was pretty much so far out of reach for me," Eddie Thrasher told the crowd.. "Asphalt was my bed."
He's not alone.
Kimberly Nolet, her husband and their dog just secured a place to live with the help of hotel staff. On their own, the task seemed insurmountable.
"Application fees, background checks, rent deposits..." she said, listing off just a few off the barriers the couple faced. "The total amount was $915 dollars that they paid out. And I'm like 'thank you, God.'"
Inside her room, she had a few personal touches on the wall—a dreamcatcher, a handcrafted flower—and a cache of toothpaste underneath the sink. As a result of She's been there since May, grateful for the security of a door at night after ten years of living without one.
"We're worried about how do we do it well? How do we do it best? How do we serve people? How do we recognize humanity? How do we bring hope," Dr. Susan Buchino said.
Buchino has served people without homes for nearly twenty years. Before that, she volunteered with outreach organizations.
She's seen the issue from several different levels, even as the director of homeless services for Louisville Metro Government. Buchino left her Metro government job back in February, frustrated with the slow pace of progress.
"Every other crisis gets an influx of attention. This one gets an influx of complaints," she said.
Buchino said a lot of people misunderstand those who have to live through the crisis.
"We all have hearts. We have feelings," Nolet said. "We are a human being. Because we don't live in a house, or drive a car, or we have to take our wagon back with us everywhere we go; we will walk, talk, eat and breathe. And the way people turn down the homeless is sad."
There are hundreds more out on Louisville's streets with hearts like hers, ready to live somewhere safe, but instead run into barriers and waitlists for shelters.
Property developer LDG provides most of the funding for the hotel through their non-profit LDG Foundation. Community Advocates for Resources and Empowerment (CARE) help operate it.
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