After multiple challenging winter storms, Mayor Linda Gorton said she was "tearing up" the city's snow plan and starting over. Council will get a look at what's new Tuesday.
This week, Council will receive a presentation about the Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness during its Work Session.
In June 2025, Lexington leaders looked closely at the city's homelessness response system through the Emergency Homeless Shelter Study. The task force's review finds that the building blocks are there: The city has service providers, solid funding, and a shared goal of getting people into permanent homes. But the report notes a growing need for shelter is keeping the pressure on city resources.
To address issues and spur progress, Mayor Linda Gorton established the Task Force on Homelessness.
The task force is made up of a diverse group, including Councilmembers, nonprofit workers, education officials, housing providers, faith leaders, business owners, and people who have experienced housing insecurity.
They met for the first time in November 2025. The group held public meetings, brought in experts, and hosted community listening sessions.
The task force determined five priority recommendations:
Maintain a temporary seasonal shelter on Versailles Road.
Begin transitioning the shelter on Versailles Road to a permanent shelter.
Create a central intake and triage system to connect people with housing, shelter, treatment, or other services more quickly.
Find strategies to divert people from entering an emergency shelter when other alternatives could be identified.
Establish an advisory group to review progress.
The Task Force also gave the green light to 15 additional long-term recommendations that would strengthen the system. These goals are categorized by improving localized case management, supporting existing shelters, providing specialized health services, prioritizing permanent supportive housing, establishing regional coordination, and enhancing public education.
What's next?
The city is drafting a Request for Proposals (RFP) to be issued this fall for a Master Developer and Site Manager of the Versailles Road campus, seeking an experienced partner to lead the site’s planning, development, financing, and operations while collaborating with LFUCG to secure federal, state, local, and private funding.
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Find more information: Read more about the task force in its Final Report or watch the Council meeting here.
James is a Civic and Community Reporter with CivicLex. James is a part of Report for America, which supports journalists in local newsrooms, with support from Press Forward Blue Grass.
The city has seen some success with a program that helps people facing eviction stay in their homes, but it's expected to run out of money in the coming months.
In Tuesday, January 13th’s Social Services & Public Safety Committee meeting, Jeff Herron, the city's Homelessness Prevention Manager, will present an update on the city’s street outreach services and homeless encampment response.
