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Pastor urges Owensboro commission to convert vacant buildings into transitional housing
Summary
Marcus Curry, pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church, urged the commission to prioritize the growing homeless population and explore converting abandoned buildings into short-term transitional housing and job supports before winter.
Owensboro — During the public-comment period on Sept. 17, Marcus Curry, pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church, asked the commission to prioritize homelessness solutions and proposed converting abandoned buildings into short-term transitional housing with wraparound services.
Curry described seeing increased concentrations of people with carts and belongings near his home during the recent air show and said the homeless population appears to be growing. He suggested the city and partners could repurpose vacant properties to provide shelter, job help and case management, especially ahead of winter.
He acknowledged the homeless coalition exists but said he was not sure of its current plans and urged city officials to use whatever authority and resources they have to begin action quickly.
Why it matters: Public comment highlighted resident concern about a visible homeless population and proposed an actionable municipal approach (building reuse and transitional services). The commission did not take immediate action but heard the request during open forum.
