Harry Pedigo, the executive director of the Daniel Pitino Shelter in Owensboro, says he regularly sees some 20 people who call Henderson home in the shelters there.
He’s also been a part of Green River Area Development District’s outreach efforts to track the needs of the counties in the district, an effort that saw GRADD dedicate two days a week to Henderson County as opposed to others only getting one.
So, it was no surprise to him that—in the first month of a homeless case manager on the job this past summer in Henderson—$30,000 from the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program was used.
Though the mood Friday was celebratory as officials cut the ribbon on the Daniel Pitino-Henderson Office on Eighth Street, a space dedicated to the use of the homeless case manager, the sobering reality is that the need is great here and more resources are needed.
Pedigo said the community needs $80,000 more for rental assistance, much of it to help pay arrearages that have been growing for some residents since the Covid-19 pandemic. He said much of the early efforts of Melissa Collier, the homeless case manager, has been in preventing people from becoming homeless.
Collier was hired in the summer. Her position is funded by both local governments which have provided a combined $40,000 in funding. The Housing Authority of Henderson is allowing the use of the office rent-free.
Though her salary is funded by local governments, Collier has been trained by Pedigo and the Daniel Pitino Shelter staff, and she continues to work as a Pitino Shelter employee.
Friday’s ceremony included a visit and comments from Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, who said that in the future when she’s asked how to handle the difficult task of alleviating homelessness, she’ll be able to say, “let me tell you what they’re doing in Henderson.”
She said other communities are not willing to face the homelessness issue, and by working towards solutions, Henderson has shown its character.
Henderson Homeless Coalition board member Cyndee Burton said the history leading to the new office and homeless case manager began about 10 years ago when she received a call from Dr. Pat Lake, former president of Henderson Community College. He told her that he was concerned about the problem, and from there, they formed a core group of people looking for answers.
Later the Henderson County Homeless Coalition was formed. One of its strong partners has been the Habitat for Humanity of Henderson, whose executive director Britney Smith is a member of the coalition’s board. The goal of Habitat is to get people into homes, while the goal of the case manager and the coalition is to help people take the steps to move toward living off the streets and into a place with a roof over their head.
“The word ‘home’ means something different for everyone,” she said.
Chamber of Commerce President Clay Gillham said bringing along those suffering the most is a piece of the chamber’s mission.
“We can’t move our community forward without making sure everybody is a part of the forward progress,” Gillham said.
Henderson Mayor Brad Staton said that the homeless should not be all thrown into the same bucket with stereotyped assumptions of why they are homeless. He said the case manager has been working with each individual to find a path to housing and to improve each’s life.
Pedigo said word about the services Collier offers has been “spreading like a wild fire.” Additionally, a local health advocacy group is collecting data about the county, and if the “need shows itself,” a homeless shelter of some sort could be pursued later.
Collier said she will present the work she’s done to the Henderson County Fiscal Court and Henderson City Commission soon.
