LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — With unauthorized street camping now illegal in Kentucky, the city of Lexington is looking towards creating an encampment coordinator position. At a meeting Tuesday, the Office of Homelessness Prevention and Intervention proposed adding that new position in the fiscal year 2026.
"We need to put more resources in this area," Jeff Herron said.
Herron is giving some context as the OHPI Director for LFUCG, emphasizing that in the OHPI office, currently, they only have three staff positions.
"Fulfilling all of the duties of the local continuum of care but also doing things like overseeing the local response to homeless encampments," Herron said.
As for the cost? Initially, it would be $45,000 for a fleet vehicle. In addition?
"The estimated cost for an encampment coordinator position including salary and fringe would be 85,000 annually," Herron noted.
The role of the encampment coordinator is to facilitate encampment response. Also, it would be to coordinate street outreach services, and three...conduct camp removals.
"This would just increase the capacity of the office," Herron said.
The proposal comes a little more than seven months after the Safer Kentucky Act went into effect, banning unlawful camping.
"This means we sometimes have urgent needs to try to facilitate a solution for someone to try to avoid them racking up fines...criminal history," Herron said.
Councilmember Liz Sheehan and Vice Mayor Dan Wu vocalized their support for Herron as he tries to get this encampment coordinator position approved.
