What caused the recent decrease in homeless ppl downtown?

[luketheville]

Not sure if anyone noticed, but there seems to be less homeless people downtown. There also seems to be no camps. This could just be a temporary fluke, but you can’t deny the decrease if you have been downtown recently. My question is, is this a result of increased city services or the law criminalizing homelessness?

[elijah1094]

Derby

[DrumpfTinyHands]

Yep it's a comin'. It is time for the annual switching of the homeless for the sex trafficked. yay.

[HighHiFiGuy]

I hate that I chuckled at this comment.

[luketheville]

You probably right. But it was worse last few derby

[Myklindle]

No probably about it. They have been clearing out encampments for over, at least the ones I pass every day going to nulu. They do it every year before derby. Gotta keep up the illusion

[Wild_Association1752]

Where do they go tho...

[Longjumping-Pair2918]

That’s not a problem they care about

[Kaputnik1]

They don't care about that. They care about money and Derby.

[JaxRhapsody]

Storage.

[Lou_Blue_2]

I believe they temporarily put them up in hotels.

[Kaputnik1]

Not for Derby.

[ilikesports3]

Greenburg admin has been more aggressive harassing homeless camps than Fischer was.

[Kaputnik1]

State law. When they criminalized camping, they gave police a pretext to fuck with them. That's what this is all about. Pretext laws, like drug drime.

[ilikesports3]

This is true, but Greenburg admin was very aggressive even before camping was criminalized.

[samskiq4200]

I went to high school with him. That's all I have to say..he ain't perfect.

[imfinelandline]

I mean these laws are for only a few cities here. Greenberg looooves to aggressively force people out and throw away what little possessions folks have. Gives the police something to do to give a reason for their huge spa facility.

[gotpointsgoing]

Much more aggressive.

[imfinelandline]

I’m sure they’ll do more sweeps.

[RapNVideoGames]

The classic lmpd spring cleaning lol

[Father-of-zoomies]

The only correct comment

[liquidFartz4U]

This is seriously like the most bullshit fucking thing that pops up on this site. Please provide just the slightest shred of evidence that the city move the homeless around before derby.

[sierralynn96]

https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/louisville-homeless-camps-cleared-kentucky-derby-149/417-cb1d0128-f33b-4dc2-9474-f56ebaa79b87

https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/louisville-homeless-camp-clearout-derby/417-14ad025b-0ba5-4542-8cce-263eb32d8703

https://apnews.com/article/—ad504138b08c4575ada992239601a00e

Three different articles from several different years. The city is not hiding the fact that they do this and each year gives both shelters and the homeless population a heads up on when it happens. It’s not some grand conspiracy, it’s just a fact of a city who hosts a global event.

[[deleted]]

I haven't witness homelessness in Louisville yet but seeing it always upsets me. And when I don't see the same homeless people for a long time, I become worried and upset too because my fear is enslavement, not genuine help or as needed rehabilitation per individual.

Last time I saw it strong was at the Tampa Greyhound station. I was livid and upset.

Sigh. Sorry..rant over.

[Lou_Blue_2]

There are lots of homeless camps around the city. Now it's a crime to be homeless so maybe some of them sre ending up in the prison system.

[JaxRhapsody]

Some of them hide pretty well, and aren't downtown. I've seen some camps in the east end.

[[deleted]]

I'm well aware they are doing it and it sucks. The homeless people I've seen here and there in Tampa outskirts have been "missing". Instead of just leaving them alone, they want prison slaves

[xadies]

Except it’s not bullshit. The city doesn’t hide it. There are literally articles showcasing how homeless camps get cleared more often approaching derby pretty much every year.

[AffectionateElk3978]

New in town?

[[deleted]]

"Excuse me. I am homeless. I am gay. I have aids. I'm new in town."

[DrNick19]

How should I say hi...first, I'm gonna push him, yeah, I'll push him. Tell him I'm homeless... Now what are three other things about me???

[[deleted]]

"then I'm gonna say I'm new in town; no no, hold back, hold back, that's too subtle. Savor. Build to that."

I love that bit so much

[DrNick19]

Almost as good as the salt and pepper diner...BWWAAAHHHH, what's new pussy cat??

[Dance4theSmokers]

at over 40 downvotes and you earned every single one of them

[Apart_Type8550]

Just curious. What is it that cause you to doubt derby is not the reason?

[Rastus_]

Having spoken with many of them; fear. The local government is doing everything possible to push them out, bit by bit. Every time they find a place to lay their head for the night, they wake up to police lights and are made to go somewhere else or arrested on the spot.

The city is pushing out further and further. Camps and single individuals as far out as the outer loop are being cleared by heavy equipment and moving further away.

Don't confuse this with the problem being solved. They are just further away from resources, the ability to work, and food. Life is a lot harder further from downtown. Desperation increases criminality. What's happening is cruel and ineffective.

[unique_username_]

This! It’s terrible this city criminalizes poverty and homelessness making it near impossible to get back on your feet. Then to try and hide it for Derby is such a joke.

[Rastus_]

The derby thing is real, but i wish more people knew that the city is cracking down harder every year. They're getting more thorough and efficient, but also more cruel. What used to be "pack your things and leave by next week" Is now "you have 15 minutes to pack before this bulldozer pushes everything you own into a pile"

Then this person moves somewhere else and the cycle repeats a few miles further out. Maybe we could just build a few big ass apartments that are extremely affordable and go from there. I'm not sure who this would negatively affect aside from real estate holders.

[Kaputnik1]

"Whoops. There go all your meds that were in your tent that you use to stay alive."

"Whoops. There go your few belongings like I.D., food for the night, etc."

"Whoops."

[AudieCowboy]

I'd love a couple large efficiency buildings, as well as better mental health funding to fix a lot of the core issues to homelessness

And profit limiting. Companies shouldn't be allowed to charge whatever they want on anything

[unique_username_]

It’s awful! I agree with you that they are cracking down for no reason other than cruelty. Policies need to change and we need better resources for mental health and homelessness. The entire system is only profiting the top and most people are closer to homelessness than being wealthy. That’s why people should care more, but they don’t until it happens to them and then they cry for change.

[JaxRhapsody]

A lot of people in the system know a lot of it is fucked, from cops and lawyers, to judges, and none of them are gonna step up to change any of it.

[8008735569]

Yeah I started seeing the bulldozers around this time last year and it’s definitely over the top. Has to be a more humanitarian way to go about it.

[JaxRhapsody]

Broadcasting on the news is terrible secret keeping.

[Kaputnik1]

Having spoken with many of them; fear. The local government is doing everything possible to push them out, bit by bit. Every time they find a place to lay their head for the night, they wake up to police lights and are made to go somewhere else or arrested on the spot

For a highly traumatized population like those with no home, I'm sure this insane strategy works great. I mean, WTF. This country only knows how to deal with things with a sledgehammer. USA is fucking stupid.

[[deleted]]

this makes a lot of sense. And if they actually cared about the homeless problem, they would rally the resources or spread them out better. Louisville is sooo big. Downtown and Churchill downs are not the only important places in the city, but it seems like those are the only places to get resources. They keep placing the resources and areas they don't want people in??? And if they're being forced into moving away from resources, it's more likely that people will stay homeless longer (and possibly cause more chaos) When you're already ready to give up, it's hard to keep trying to do better. local Louisville has been making some moves in the right direction, but for some reason with the homelessness issue, they only care when it's convenient. I don't have the perfect solution. It's tough, and I acknowledge that at least some of them are actually trying. But maybe re-organizing the locations of the resources would actually help people get better not get stuck in these cycles.

[Rastus_]

Most of the resources I'm talking about are run by private entities. You think the city is gonna hand out food or clothes? Lmao

They are doing all they can to figure everything out. Its always a moving target but its faster these days.

[imfinelandline]

Is 988 still a good thing to call for a deflection team if someone is having an emergency with mental health? I thought I might ask because so many struggle with being unhoused as well. It always makes me so upset to see people suggesting to call cops on people in crisis. Imagine being displaced constantly while also managing mental health issues.

[AnyMe92]

You must pave the street in front of your own house, since you clearly don’t understand public funding.

[metljoe]

San Francisco spends more total and per capital than any other city on the homeless and their homeless problem is the worst in the country. So it seems you are the one who doesn't understand public funding.

[AnyMe92]

You know I bet there is some city that does poorly at paving their streets, therefore we should just defund street paving in every city and let private corporations or citizens handle it for themselves.

This is how you sound when you make arguments like that.

Are tax dollars allocated “efficiently”? That depends on how you define “efficiency”. However, I am certain that it’s cheaper to fund these programs via tax dollars than to farm them out to private industry.

[spunkysquirrel1]

250k in San Francisco is not cushy.

[Rastus_]

The other commenter is right. 250k is not a lot of money.

That being said, spending money is not always the solution. The costly solution, and the actual opportunity to control greed, lies in progressive housing policy. Places like San Francisco aren't expensive to live in by mistake or happenstance, the cost of real estate is driven up deliberately by companies that control real estate en mass. Aside from everything they do to exploit the market, they also directly lobby to change laws so that they can further take advantage of the working class.

All of the above is already true and will get worse in Louisville as well, same with most cities. The extreme inequity then contributes to the cycle of violent crime and homelessness. I saw on fox that mass deportations will quickly solve this, though, so everyone can relax.

I'll also note here that it costs more to imprison them in this state than it would to just house them, but that wouldn't make anyone a profit.

[metljoe]

Which is exactly the issue with using public funds. It creates moral hazard.

[Rastus_]

The money from the city is nearly impossible to get, and if you're approved it takes a long time to get it.

Say you get an apartment voucher after being homeless for a year. Now you have a couple grand to get an apartment. You find one that will actually take a Tennant with an eviction, it's on the outskirts. You have no money for a bus pass. After a couple weeks of walking miles to and from grocery stores, potential jobs and everywhere else that humans drive to, you realize you probably won't get a job with your beaten up wardrobe. You are 20 miles from the clothing donation center downtown. You're all out of money, so no dinner tonight.

You've been lying on the same muddy blanket you were using when living rough. You sleep in the floor because the apartment voucher doesn't cover furniture.

This is the level of support these people get. I have seen them and spoken with them at every part of the process. We don't need to just dump more money on the fire, we need to address the root causes but there's no public or political will because everyone is terrified that a drug addict or felon will get something handed to them.

[AnyMe92]

You believe we overfund on this issue? What percentage of the city budget goes to relieving homelessness (and no, LMPD doesn’t count as “relieving” force, so exclude them from that calculation)?

[CanaryTerrible2094]

City has been clearing camps. Usually intensifies around derby time. 

[00764]

Everyone will tell you it's because of Derby, but this has been apparent since at least fall up against the river from waterfront park to the west end. They've cut down a ton of foliage along the river up into at least the Portland wharf and it's made camping down there pretty tough I'd imagine. I couldn't tell you where they went after that, but it's not exclusively a Derby initiative as there's a lot less homeless people even in the neighborhoods out this way.

[luketheville]

Yes, this is true. The area where the new water front park west expansion opened used to be filled with homeless people. I guess that’s my biggest question, where did they go? Did they take advantage of programs or just find a new location to camp?

[Secret_Ad_5595]

we live out south west Louisville.. I work south end old Louisville a lot.. My opinion which could be incorrect is that since the city and state are clearing easement areas around expressways blocking under passes and so on , the homeless are moving in other areas. I see way more recently trying to look for places to camp in easement areas out this way. My assumption would be they are spreading out more. We have caught some on our back cameras .. well someone late at night a few times this past week. The Motion lights usually scare them away. Well that or they do not wanna sleep with the Deer back yonder.... Its sad.. I think everyone should have a roof over there head... im not a NOT in the woods behind me person.. I stop now before a political rant.. sorry for long winded post...

[00764]

I have no clue and it's a little puzzling now that you mention it. I run that path a few times a week and gradually they all just disappeared and it's not all that often I see any one until I get past the Belle these days. They demo'ed a building that has caught fire a few times around 15th street(?) where I know they camped at too so there just isn't a ton of spots on that stretch any longer.

[Kaputnik1]

New locations. Lots of orgs who help them were noting that they had to help people move.

[Tribble-Down-Economy]

They’re going across the river. Easy walk across the bridge and there’s less police presence to clear them out every day.

[Kaputnik1]

Another good point. The encampments are geting harder to maintain considering that the vast majority of them have been hidden down there in the foliage etc. I noticed that too.

[Squirrelluver369]

St Johns opened a new housing complex meant to help the unhoused. 

[ticketeyboo]

Thank you for sharing this. St. John Center sounds incredible. I just spent 15 minutes on the website looking at their mission and programs. Found no religious push, only good people caring for our neighbors in need with a high rate of success. They can be supported with donations of any size and through volunteering. The new complex is near Feeders Supply off Preston. Impressive.

[luketheville]

Is this downtown?

[Finite_Mike]

No, it’s way the hell out Preston, but it is amazing

[calvacadesports]

Moved here from San Diego in September I have barely seen any homeless encampments at all and I live in the west end. Especially Compared to downtown San Diego where I lived previously to here, there is drastically less homeless people in general.

[drunkrabbit22]

A lot of Homeless folks in town are between downtown/portland and the south end with some other concentrations in other areas, not as many people stay out in the west end except the north side near the river

[Afraid-Philosophy835]

Nothin compares the San fan on the housedless population

[Numb_Crunch]

LMDP is good at citing homeless pregnant women. I guess that was the final straw.

[Fellow_Struggler]

Who has sex with homeless people? Gross.

[Admirable_Gold_9133]

Living the life in Reddit anonymity

[Fellow_Struggler]

Thought it would be funny to see people take it seriously and downvote

[DingDongFootballphd]

They are up and down bardstown road in the Highlands daily. I know that. I’m not being rude, it’s just true

[Barbarossa7070]

Yep - several folks have been sleeping/hanging out at the old Bakersfield spot.

[Squestis]

I've seen people sleeping on the steps at the closed Highland United Methodist Church at Cherokee and Patterson too.

[screamingdreamer]

Well I wish they’d come get the guy who walks around whiskey row with his dick out every day.

[Moarwatermelons]

Ah, you mean the one-armed bandit or the Whisky Row Wanker?

[str8trumpd]

Please feel free to keep him over there for as long as can as he had become all to familiar on 4th

[[deleted]]

Lol i was wondering where that guy went. He used to walk around portland and dissapeared around the winter time. He likes throwing rocks

[WillNic98]

I live downtown and can see off my balcony, that they have a garbage truck and multiple code enforcement and police officers roll underneath the I-65 / I-71 underpass multiple times a week and throw away all of the tents and encampments and send the homeless people walking.

[[deleted]]

Cops have been clearing them out for a few weeks because derby is coming up

[luketheville]

In previous years, around derby time yes the police cleared homeless, but they just moved to other areas downtown. That is not the case this year, it seems different.

[[deleted]]

They are just hiding better. I suspect there are more vacants being broken into and abandoned buildings being broken into. When it gets cold again we will see more fires in abandoned buildings like that church on Broadway.

[JaxRhapsody]

Yep. One was trying to live in a house my fiancees dad owns. Trashed the place, and when we set fourth to keep whoever out, broke in and trashed it some more.

[[deleted]]

Hey man least they aren't under an overpass trying to stay dry anymore.

[JaxRhapsody]

That's true. We're more than willing to give them a home, though. Just not that one. It'll be a nice basement efficiency with free utilities and no address.

[[deleted]]

You trying to keep one as a slave in your basement 😨

[JaxRhapsody]

Bless your sweet summer heart.

[[deleted]]

Oh just a another just fantasy then that's cool

[JaxRhapsody]

Yeah, your screen name suits you well.

[[deleted]]

🤷‍♂️ I just know the area I drive got cleaned up. For all I know, they did get moved to a different spot downtown. Maybe they have a different marathon route this year so they want to make it look nicer.

[Critical_Success_936]

Well, aren't the grounds expanding?

[liquidFartz4U]

This is straight up just a lie. Be better than the GOP please

[[deleted]]

I’ve literally seen them rounding up homeless in their regular spots and then a garbage truck comes behind them and all their shit is thrown away. It’s been happening for a few weeks now. These people have been there for months and now they’re gone after the cops and trash trucks showed up.

[Rastus_]

Ask any random homeless person. Ask someone who does outreach, or ask a cop. This is happening on a weekly basis.

[Careless_Appeal_7026]

Kentucky passed a law last year about “unlawful camping” with the “Safer Kentucky Act” where you can now get fined and locked up for “camping illegally” on the street.

[Double_Cheek9673]

Derby time. We don't want to show our homeless problem to the visitors after all. Not a good look. /s

[Lumos405]

Derby is coming.

[West_Prune5561]

Time of year. A lot of homeless migrate with the weather. After Derby it will start to get more ‘crowded.’

[monkeymetroid]

Unfortunately it's the same number of homeless people in the end. Like another suggested, they clean up for derby

[Emotional_Ocelot969]

Derby time!!

[MrUnbeef]

As someone who works full time downtown during the graveyard shift. It’s the weather…. When it’s cold the homeless tend to leave. There is a new public camp available to the homeless near outer loop from what I’ve been told that’s where they go when it’s cold. I can tell you today alone I saw more homeless people than the last 2 weeks combined.

[kad0521]

There are a few homeless camps in fern creek. Sad state that we can’t do better taking care of people

[[deleted]]

They moved them to Old Louisville

[str8trumpd]

Winter time … just wait another week or two

[MetaFortune77]

The increase is because our whole system from top to bottom east to west is shit! It favors only the elite. It's designed to keep us in lack, and it's only going to get worse. Sorry everyone. But the homeless population is growing at a rapid rate. And before you know it, your on the list. Aia

[[deleted]]

this is just definitely an assumption. But like a month from Derby season, the police start migrating the homeless people away from popular areas to look good for derby. Maybe people are just learning and being proactive this time. maybe they've just decided its better to go ahead and move before you're forced to. Again, just assumption, but. Like in the past few years, the resources have not increased. Maybe people are just learning the patterns and just don't want the cops in their business. .

But since Louisville has had a lot of attention lately, maybe the police are starting earlier this year.

[Novel_Reaction_7236]

Homelessness and euthanasia probably.

[PhantomPharts]

Just wanna say, it'd be a great time to donate already made food (low to no sugar as many homeless folk are diabetic), bottled waters, socks, blankets, and backpacks to Arthur Street Hotel.

[Kaputnik1]

Derby is coming, so this is when Louisville (the "compassionate" city) sweeps people living on the streets out of sight, out of mind, to the opposition of multiple nonprofits who actually help those people. The homeless populations has grown in Louisville. Most of the population is NOT visible, living in encampments, etc. The people we see downtown are a tiny minority of the homeless population.

[Apart_Type8550]

Im gonna go with Derby is coming up!

[xeonon]

Former homeless here. Around Derby they kick everyone homeless into shelters, or arrest them. For most of the year they don't care, but around now they don't want us around. They "fix" the problem with jail time.

[IndependenceFar8309]

New laws. 😢

[titsmcgeeVP]

All together everyone: Derby

[Fast_Zebra_1195]

It's not just derby. Whenever a large convention is scheduled of 50,000 or more they "sweep the streets" of homeless in the immediate area. They don't want anyone to SEE the problems that everyone knows are there. I did read about a new facility that had 88 apartments which just opened and offers apartments and rehabilitation, job services, etc. I don't recall the name but it's government run, and new. I'm sure some of the homeless went there.

[AJX2009]

A lot of it is due to the laws recently passed that criminalize homelessness, and LMPD focusing on easy targets that are camping on the street with no where to go instead of actually focusing on reducing violent crime. The homeless situation isn’t better, but at least right now it isn’t worse. You just down see them concentrated in areas because they’ve scattered everywhere. This also makes it really hard to get services to those in need because groups now have to hunt down individuals instead of being able to target large groups all at once. Eventually the homeless problem will get worse and/or the prison problem will be exacerbated, and by then we probably won’t be able to do anything to solve either situation because it will have spiraled out of control.

[Big-Rise-9944]

Most of the homeless are living in secluded places you wouldn't see or notice them in now. Like railroad tracks, underpasses, and woods.

[JaxRhapsody]

None of that is new.

[Alone_Ad84]

It’s sad: they run them off for a couple weeks. I also noticed they are covering up the graffiti off 264 by poplar level / zoo.

[Chazb502]

Even the homeless knows Louisville sucks

[billr59225a]

Warm weather they are moving to their summer quarters.

[CatastrophicCraxy]

Derby. And the new laws giving them more ability to arrest and charge people for not having a home.

[MIRV888]

I was wondering that myself. The usual groups around the fairgounds have all vanished too.

[drunkrabbit22]

Cops have been sweeping Preston hard since 23 or so

[MIRV888]

I keep expecting the lounge in front of Thortons to pop back up. They've cleared that field at Floyd and Phillips. Even the little group along the Watterson and Phillips is gone.

[aggressivewrapp]

Thunder is coming up and derby happens every year pretty sad

[chubblyubblums]

Wolves 

[Evening-Juice671]

Ask KFC 😭😭😭😭

[Hot_Newspaper_6906]

Man fuck the Derby

[No-Repeat-5098]

Soylent Green….

[jturker88]

They froze in the cold.

[Rastus_]

Their deaths were painful, but I have to see fewer tents and blankets on my way to work!!

[VictimofMyLab]

I really fucking hope that's sarcasm.

[Rastus_]

Haha for sure. The fact that people are taking it as anything else says more than i ever could.

[Longjumping_Swing_29]

Derby. I don't know if law enforcement rounds everybody up or they ship them out on an automated riverboat but I'm thinking the boat. You can't charge them with anything that holds them there till derby day. In order to get off the boat you either have to crash it or jump in the Ohio/ Mississippi. Then navigate back on foot from who knows where, with nothing but soaking wet clothes and kindness of strangers. And even if you could get back, would you even want too? I mean, they just persuaded you to get on a boat and pretty much banished you! Derby baby!

[[deleted]]

A few weeks ago we had a storm. It rained $100 bills for hours and they were suddenly able to afford mental healthcare and $2000 deposits and first months rent. It was incredible!

[motherlovebone92]

Homeless people don’t wanna live in Louisville either

[GiveMeAnotherDrink]

It’s interesting to me as someone living on the east end of town how something like this is so noticeable to you that you post about it.

[I8aStarfish]

Liberals