Local agencies report sharp rise in families sleeping outside as shelter capacity lags

Four local providers told the Equitable Growth and Housing Committee that demand for family shelter far exceeds capacity and that the number of families sleeping outside rose sharply in 2024.

Representatives from Bethany House, Found House, Strategies to End Homelessness and the YWCA said the central access point (CAP) helpline received more than 2,200 family calls in 2024. Of those, 697 families were screened and determined to need emergency shelter; only 266 of those families were able to be admitted to emergency shelters, Kevin Finn said. "Only a little more than a third of the families that we determined really did need emergency shelter were actually able to come into a shelter," Finn said.

Finn and other presenters said outreach and improved counting increased the number of families found sleeping outside; in 2024 the providers counted 232 families sleeping outdoors, compared with past years when the count had not exceeded the high 20s. "That might explain a part of that increase," Finn said, "but clearly a large amount of those numbers is families that attempted to access emergency shelter and were not able to, and as a result ended up sleeping in their car or something like that instead."

Program directors described services and outcomes alongside systemic gaps: - Bethany House reported serving 449 families (more than 1,000 children) and providing over 79,000 bed nights in 2024. The agency said it raised roughly $250,000 in one‑time assistance for households but that the need exceeds available private funds. Joanna Glover (YWCA) said about 85 percent of program participants move from shelter into permanent housing and that 85–90 percent of those households remain housed over a two‑year follow‑up window. - Found House and others noted structural obstacles to stable exits: a loss of daycare capacity since COVID, a high prevalence of chronic physical, mental health or developmental conditions among parents (about 40 percent among families they serve), and a scarce supply of multi‑bedroom rental units at rents households can afford. Stacey Burd said longer term rental assistance has waned; when local public housing vouchers are not available she expects up to 150 families who are exiting shelters or diversion programs will be affected.

Speakers emphasized that prevention and shelter diversion (helping doubled‑up families secure an apartment) work well when resources are available but capacity is limited. Finn explained that in 2024 the system could only place 106 families in shelter diversion. "So the vast majority of the families that called the central access point were not offered any sort of assistance at all simply because shelter space was not available for them nor was there enough capacity in the shelter diversion program," he said.

Panelists also described the affordability math many households face: Found House cited an example of a mother with STNA earnings (about $2,500 per month) facing a two‑bedroom market rent of about $1,362; that rent would consume roughly 54 percent of pretax earnings before utilities, childcare and transportation are counted.

Committee members thanked the presenters and raised questions about cross‑jurisdictional effects and county funding. Members heard that most people experiencing homelessness are local but that some movement across county lines and from neighboring Northern Kentucky contributes to demand. Panelists noted that county indigent care levy funding historically supports single adult shelters, while family shelter funding has been more limited.

Committee members requested the agencies' data be filed with the clerk and signaled continuing interest in the ongoing RFP for human services funding. No formal committee action followed the presentation.

The presenters asked policymakers to consider sustaining and expanding rental assistance, addressing childcare capacity, and aligning funding for family shelters with demonstrated need.

The committee filed the presentation and concluded the meeting.