In FY24, before the implementation of new statewide laws banning unauthorized street camping, Lexington conducted 28 camp cleanups at a total cost of more than $51,000 per cleanup.
Homelessness Prevention Manager Jeff Herron said, while efforts are taken to notify people through signs and other means, statewide reforms are bound to put the issue in the spotlight in the coming years.
"These issues are likely to continue as we see the implementation of anti-camping provisions included in House Bill 5," Herron noted. "We are aggressively and assertively trying to pursue additional shelter options, currently working on a shelter feasibility study with EHI consultants, but as you all know, the establishment of permanent shelter takes time and is not able to immediately meet the needs of all persons that are experiencing homelessness."
Herron said current cleanups are concentrated in six emphasis areas in the city that have seen repeated camping.
