LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – A Louisville non-profit received donations from the city to place over 100 homeless people into hotel rooms before winter weather hit the area last Thursday.
However, the money ran out a week later, and those people are now being moved back out to the streets and camps all over town.
Organizers with Feed Louisville did what they could to fundraise as much as possible to help provide housing for the homeless during Thursday’s ice storm.
On Friday, many people temporarily staying at WoodSpring Suites in Fairdale had no choice but to leave.
“It takes a lot out of you, I’ve seen people die out here,” Mark Hankins said. “I don’t know what keeps me going, but sometimes I feel like giving up. But I was thankful for being picked to pull me off the streets for a week and I just hate to go back.”
Hankins said he’s been homeless for three years. He said stress is coming back now that he has to leave the hotel.
Feed Louisville provided assistance by loading vans with supplies such as new tents, sleeping bags, gloves, socks, and outerwear.
They are also doing what they can to provide services such as housing assessments, mental health, addiction, hospital trips, chronic and physical issues.
Still, Feed Louisville’s co-founder Donny Greene said the city can do more for the homeless population.
“I am not confident that the leadership in this city understands how serious the issue is and how much money it is going to take to fix the problems that we have,” Greene said. “And what the long-term investment looks like.”
As part of the city’s annual Emergency Preparedness Program, Feed Louisville said they plan to transport homeless to hotels during extreme weather conditions going forward.
Copyright 2022 WAVE. All rights reserved.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/PCJC2KGVR5F2FLUXW7Y24Q2L3M.png&description=Homeless+residents+positioned+in+resorts+throughout+ice+storm+moved+again+to+streets){kind=link}