Addressing Rural Homelessness in Kentucky

While homelessness is often perceived as an urban problem, service providers working in rural areas face a unique set of challenges. In Kentucky, rural homelessness rose from 650 in 2019 to over 1,000 in 2024, prompting calls for broader outreach throughout the state.

Liam Niemeyer, a reporter with the Kentucky Lantern who has been studying homelessness in the state, told WEKU that many rural former coal mining areas lack the resources that cities like Louisville or Nashville have to help people experiencing homelessness. “He said that while some can work, some struggle to find work, and having limited or no transportation to get them to a job does not help.”

In his latest article, Niemeyer profiles a Central City, Kentucky church that offered services to unhoused people. The church faces backlash from local residents for its plan to buy a local motel and turn it into supportive housing complete with medical and other services. Some residents worry about the potential impacts on the neighborhood and whether the shelter is necessary, while advocates point out that official homelessness counts likely understate the number of people who experience homelessness, particularly in rural areas where the Point-in-Time count is more difficult to conduct accurately.