Lexington is getting national attention because in October 2013, the Day Shelter Ordinance made law some very questionable regulations. Advocates say that it looks like "the city was using zoning ordinances to discriminate against the poor or the homeless. Many homeless people are minorities who are protected under federal fair housing laws" (see Lexington Herald-Leader article by reporter Beth Musgrave dated May 19, 2014, here for the source of this quotation and more details).
At our May board meeting, an ad hoc committee was tasked with drafting this letter. We sent it yesterday to voice our very grave concerns. Please consider sending your own letter or calling or sending an email to the mayor and LFUCG council members (you can find their contact information here).
May 27, 2014
Mayor Jim Gray and LFUCG Council Members:
As an organization that supports and advocates for issues of justice and equality for all persons, this letter aims to express serious concern for the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government Ordinance No. 129-2013—the “Day Shelter Ordinance”—which we believe should be rescinded at
once.
We know the Lexington community is better than this. We are dismayed our local government would prevent the expansion of services to the neediest among us while pandering to those who cry N.I.M.B.Y. Albeit shameful, national attention has deservedly been drawn to the legislation’s vague description of “people with limited financial resources, including people who are homeless.”
Requiring additional permits for organizations that aide impoverished individuals is discriminatory. What is more, obtaining the permit likely serves as an insurmountable obstacle for many providers, given their own limited financial and human resources. We are also concerned that, since the Day Shelter Ordinance was passed last year, it has been enforced in an
arbitrary manner. When applying for expansion, it has come to our attention that some essential service centers were not required to obtain the conditional permit, while others were. Inconsistencies implementing the ordinance only add weight to the foundation of unfair treatment.
Restrictive permits for those serving the poor displays a lack of compassion for the most vulnerable citizens and supports misconceived views of those with less wealth as undesirable neighbors or potentially dangerous. We believe all people in need of assistance deserve fair and equal access, whatever their location or circumstance. It is unjust to equate wealth with worth. An enlightened, democratic government must protect the interests of all its citizens from discrimination, not single out individuals based on financial status.
Sadly, structural changes in our global economy squeeze an increasing number of working individuals and families toward the poverty line. Access to affordable housing in Lexington continues to decline while real wages remain stagnant. Given these environmental factors, we predict a need for expanding the very services this ordinance hinders. The Day Shelter
Ordinance is the wrong response to our poverty problems and should be immediately rescinded so that our local government may serve all citizens of Lexington justly.
Respectfully,
The Board of the Central Kentucky Council for Peace and Justice
(If you missed our December 17, 2013, "Looking for a Home" Posada Procession,
you can see photos and read our declarations at an earlier blog post here.)
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