• Thu. Dec 8th, 2022

City-run homeless camp opens in Louisville

ByDebra J. Aguilar

Apr 26, 2022

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A new facility to help people avoid prolonged homelessness has officially opened in Louisville.


What do you want to know

  • A new homeless camp opened Tuesday on East College Street in Louisville
  • The site hosts 48 isolated tents that people can live in for up to a year while they get help for a more stable way of life
  • In November 2021, the Louisville Metro Council approved this project and a few others using $89 million from the US federal bailout law.
  • $1.5 million has been allocated to The Hope Village

Organizers at The Hope Village will begin moving people into insulated tents on Tuesday, set up to help people get back on their feet over the next year.

The $1.5 million project is funded by the US Federal Bailout Act and approved by the Louisville Metro Council last year. The city hired The Hope Buss to manage the site.

“People deserve to be in a stable and secure environment,” said Hope Buss chief executive Stachelle Bussey. “I’m glad we’re able to provide that, so I’m definitely ready to get to work.”

Hope Village shelters are equipped with cots, bedding, toiletries and access to electricity. (Spectrum News 1/Joe Raguse)

The Hope Village provides insulated tents to people who have been referred to The Hope Buss for up to one year. Shelters include a cot or two, bedding, storage bins, toiletries and a power source. Showers and portable toilets are also on site.

Bussey said she knows The Hope Village won’t solve all of Louisville’s housing problems, but the 48 shelters will have a substantial impact.

“I think it’s going to be successful – I mean, I know it’s going to be successful – so I think what he should do is get our city to say we need to build more and more,” said Bussey. “We need to dedicate more resources to these types of solutions.”

The Hope Buss also works to help tenants find work and other more permanent housing.

The Hope Village project is one of several Louisville Metro Council members signed in November 2021 to address the housing issue. Another part of the plan, which costs a total of $89 million, includes the purchase for $7.5 million of a building next to The Hope Village at 212 East College Street to create more housing options. of transition.