By: Mason Galemore
In 2022 the homeless population in McCracken County was over 100. City officials and charities are anticipating the number for 2023 to be higher, encouraging local nonprofits to push for solutions.
The K-Count – also referred to as the point-in-time count in other states – records the number of Kentuckians who are homeless in a single night in January. The new count has caused concern among local social services groups like the Paducah Cooperative Ministry (PCM).
Lacy Boling is the Executive Director for PCM. She said the underlying factors for why homelessness has increased just in McCracken County alone are very complex. She said the ways to fix the crisis are even more complex.
“Everyone says they are willing to help, except they don’t want it in their backyard,” Boling said. “Our approach when helping people has to come from all angles. Every person we help has their own struggle.”
PCM – which partners with United Way of western Kentucky – offers emergency assistance to those suffering from homelessness and food insecurity. From 2022 to 2023 grocery requests for the group jumped by more than 40%. The group also completed over 1100 emergency services cases assisting people with rent and utilities.
Boling said many people who are struggling to find a home are ones who struggle to make enough income. She said it’s concerning to see that many people are homeless because they missed a paycheck.
“Many of these people are like you and me, they are just trying to take care of themselves,” Boling said. “It makes me emotional when people claim that these people just aren’t working hard enough because it’s a huge misconception that people have.”
To track the amount of unsheltered people, many states use the point-in-time count. The numbers indicate if an unsheltered population in a county has increased or decreased which helps nonprofit and government organizations determine if more funding is needed.
Boling said even though the point-in-time count is trusted by many, it is not an accurate representation of unsheltered populations. She said some unsheltered people may have a place to stay at one point in time but will be sleeping on the streets at a later time. According to the K-count, If a person has a place to stay one night but is unsheltered another night they aren’t counted as being homeless.
Another service PCM provides to help the homeless is Fresh Start Village. Located on Paducah’s 12th Street, Fresh Start Village gives displaced women and single mothers a place to live while PCM case workers help them find employment and build their living skills. Though most of the village’s cottage apartments are mostly lent to women and single mothers, PCM helps unsheltered people who don’t fit the village’s criteria find nearby shelters.
Gina Stafford is the housing case manager for PCM. She is responsible for admitting people and their families into the village. She said that once they are moved in they have access to counseling services to help with addiction and mental illness. They also have access to job and career services to help them find employment once they leave.
“Sometimes we have an influx of people and all of the cottages are full and sometimes we have a lot of vacancies,” Stafford said. “We have people who come in and begin the transition process and leave abruptly after weeks or months. They can grow impatient with the long transition process.”
The village also teaches tenants how to properly maintain their living spaces and how to effectively communicate with landlords. Stafford said many people that come into the village struggle to transition to new living conditions due to increased structure and the pressure.
“It’s up to tenants to decide if they want to stay – we can’t force them,” Stafford said. “Some of them leave and come back and we always accept them back to the village.”
Stafford said even though the village is a viable option for many who want to find a home it is not a suitable option for people looking for short-term accommodation. Paducah – which has a population of nearly 40,000 – does not have a drop-in shelter. Drop-in-shelters or intake shelters offer immediate housing to displaced people. She said those shelters are important for people who need accommodations but don’t fit the criteria of living in Fresh Start Village.
Stafford said creating a drop-in-shelter in Paducah would draw unsheltered people throughout West Kentucky and nearby states. Communities including Cairo, Illinois, which has an employment rate of only 39% is located 36 miles from Paducah. Stafford said a drop-in-shelter would draw unsheltered people from neighboring communities like Cairo and Metropolis.
“Many people just need a place to stay so they aren’t sleeping on the streets,” Stafford said. “Some people may have a place to stay one night and may not have anywhere to stay another night. If we had a drop in shelter it would probably be booming.”
Boling said she wants PCM and Fresh Start Village to expand but they are concerned about pushback from city officials. She said she wants to build more housing in the village.
Under Kentucky House Bill 5 unsheltered people would legally face consequences for ‘unlawful camping.’ The bill would make sleeping outside in a public area illegal. Offenders would face $250 fines and up to 90 days in jail.
Boling spoke to the Homeless and Housing and Coalition for Kentucky on March 13 in regards to Kentucky House Bill 5. She said, “House Bill 5 puts a boot on the neck of Kentuckians who are already in distress.”
To learn more about PCM visit their website.
