The Boyle County Fiscal Court voted Nov. 25 to set aside reimbursable funds of up to $8,800 to support hotel vouchers for residents experiencing homelessness during cold-weather nights.

Harm-reduction and homelessness coordinator Bryce Gibson told the court he began street outreach Sept. 1 and has distributed meal kits and helped organize a hotel voucher program that will run from Dec. 1 through March 31, with an activation temperature of 28°F. Gibson said vouchers will not be used on nights when warming centers operate and that voucher applicants must complete an intake form to gather data and inform longer-term services. He said the county’s health department funding that previously supported vouchers has been reduced and the coalition is actively fundraising.

“Something else, we’re actively still fundraising for this,” Gibson said, adding that First Christian Church has covered at least one month and that the program will try to centralize services at a recovery community center, “The Bridge,” which has a Dec. 2 move-in date.

During discussion, a magistrate moved that the court commit $8,800 to reimburse the homeless coalition for voucher costs; the court approved the motion by voice vote. The county treasurer confirmed the funds would come from current-year funds that became available because other line items (loan or rent payments) will not be paid this budget cycle; the reimbursement will be handled by invoice.

Magistrates and attendees stressed the need for continued fundraising and coordination with city partners; the court urged the coalition to submit invoices and invited the coordinator to seek potential city assistance. Gibson said the intake will have roughly 43 questions to collect data on root causes and outcomes and that case management and insurance enrollment assistance will be available through partners.

The court’s action provides short-term, reimbursable support to the locally run hotel-voucher program; further funding decisions and possible city contributions were left for later follow-up.