On July 15, 2024, House Bill 5 went into effect and made Kentucky one of the first states in the country to criminalize street camping. One year later, we’re left with a chilling legacy: hundreds of citations, growing mistrust of outreach efforts, worsening homelessness, and a question that still hangs heavy. Why did we let this happen?
According to statewide data, more than 425 charges for unlawful camping have been filed across 30 Kentucky counties. That is more than one citation a day, overwhelmingly targeting unhoused people just for trying to survive. The largest share, 42%, was issued in Jefferson County, followed by Fayette (13.5%), Boyd (12%), and Daviess counties (7.4%).
But these aren’t just numbers. These are fellow Kentuckians trying to get by. Among them are:
A man was cited and moved along after being woken up by police kicking his feet as he slept under a viaduct.
A woman arrested while changing clothes in a parking garage during a heatwave was taken to jail without pants. She was later released, still without pants.
A pregnant woman was cited while in active labor. Her story made national headlines. She has housing now, but it did not come from city services, it came from community care.
A man cited multiple times, stuck in a cycle of court dates and jail, desperate for help that never comes.
This law has not ended or even decreased homelessness. Statewide, numbers show a 10% increase.
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