KY — LEXINGTON The Safer Kentucky Act, or House Bill 5, has come under fire from a number of groups. Some organizations believe that a portion of the measure specifically targets those who are homeless.
In order to provide Kentuckians with a voice in the issue, Street Voice Council collaborated with other organizations to construct a survey.
Should the measure become law, it would be illegal to camp on roadways or in any other place not intended for sleeping or camping but rather for automobiles or pedestrians.
Since roughly 2017, Aren Gayhart has sometimes resided at the Catholic Action Center. Her inability to find employment due to mental health issues has resulted in her homelessness for the past ten or so years.
Gayhart remarked, “We don’t choose to be homeless.” “That’s just how things go sometimes. You always wind up with the short end of the stick, and you never know when you can lose your job and become homeless.
On Wednesday, Gayhart and members of the Street Voice Council will travel to Frankfort to speak with lawmakers about HB 5.
Following that meeting, a news conference will be held to reveal the survey’s findings. This poll is in reaction to one conducted outside the state, which helped shape portions of HB 5.
The Catholic Action Center’s director and co-founder, Ginny Ramsey, claimed that the survey conducted outside of the state fails to adequately represent Kentucky.
“For this reason, we conducted a survey. The Street Voice Council, in collaboration with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, Catholic Action Center, and Central Kentucky Housing and Homeless, collaborated to determine what kinds of questions would additionally educate the public and help them comprehend the true implications of House Bill 5 concerning homelessness,” stated Ramsey.
After passing the House last month, HB 5 was sent to the Senate for revisions. People can now spend up to 12 hours sleeping in their automobiles because to a reform.
Gayhart remarked, “We didn’t choose to be here.” “This is where we got stuck.”
“They need to assist us, not criminalize us.”
The online survey, available at the Catholic Action Center, is set to expire on Monday at 11:45 p.m.
