On Wednesday, October 6th, 2021, the city of Louisville used bulldozers and other destructive equipment to eliminate countless camps near Interstate 65 in downtown. 

Their reasoning: public health and public safety challenges. Their solution: spend $3 million dollars to create a "safe outdoor space" complete with showers and storage areas for the residents. 

Houseless resident's camps have been destroyed time and time again when they try to set up shelter under the overpass, safe from most of the harsh weather, heat, or cold. And the city's response has been to demolish their living spaces and attempt to relocate them. 

Houselessness is a cyclical problem, one that is very difficult to overcome, especially with the lack of affordable housing in Kentucky and the nation. Using $3 million dollars to create a space for them is a bandaid, a waste of time and energy, as houseless residents state that they would rather have safe, affordable housing, compared to living outside in the extreme and unpredictable weather. 

Louisville Metro and the city officials have shown continuously that they DO NOT CARE about the houseless population and only wish to relocate them for the sake of beautification of the city. 

But we believe that the beautification of a city does not necessarily depend on what it looks like aesthetically, but rather how you treat the people living there. 

Please sign this petition and let Louisville Metro Government know that we ARE NOT OKAY with this treatment of our fellow citizens. They deserve better.