“Last year, I asked Candace McGraw, CEO of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, to convene a broad-based working group to examine the issue of homelessness in Northern Kentucky. This morning, Candace and the working group released their initial report on unsheltered homeless, based on new data collected that represents the deepest study of this population ever completed in Northern Kentucky. I know this data, and the follow-up recommendations, will help our region develop a better approach to this important issue,” stated Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann.
“In business, good data drive strong and informed decision-making. The same holds true for public policy and is especially necessary when confronting homelessness and housing issues. The working group that Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann asked me to convene identified gaps in data collection and looked to create efficiencies in data intake. Thanks to the leadership of our local non-profit service providers and other key partners, like the Kentucky Housing Corporation, we now have a more solid data set that demonstrates that homelessness is a regional challenge that requires regional attention and leadership to address,” said Candace McGraw, CEO of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG).
“The issues of chronic homelessness and those who are precariously housed in our region affect the most vulnerable citizens in our counties, cities and schools. Working together to create a strategic, focused plan to combat homelessness, we can have a positive impact on the lives of our citizens while improving quality of life and enhancing the region’s workforce. I am extremely grateful to Candace McGraw, her working group and to all those individuals and agencies that are dedicated to working together to see real progress in preventing and addressing homelessness in the region.” - Gary W. Moore, Boone County Judge/Executive
"Most of us go on about our busy lives without noticing things like homelessness. When people do notice, in the beginning there is little chance they have a clue about the dimension of the problem, its root causes, who among us is affected, and the effects on all the rest of us. It is a matter of great complication. Without good information, even those who are aware and highly motivated to help have trouble being effective. The working group Candace McGraw is leading has gone a long way toward developing data that offers a clarity and focus around the problem that will make it much easier to devise, test and adjust solutions regionally. They are offering hope for people for whom hope is in short supply." – Steve Pendery, Campbell County Judge/Executive
“When I started my service as Judge/Executive five years ago, my first thought was that I wanted no one to die on the streets of my county for lack of a warm place to be safe in the depths of winter. In the time since, we’ve come a long way in understanding the nearly 2,000 unsheltered homeless living in our community. We can do better in keeping them safe, and in helping them become productive members of our community. I deeply appreciate the work of Candace McGraw and the working group because, with data and facts, we can do a better job of helping the unsheltered homeless put their lives back together. The new year will be an important one in addressing this issue, and I hope others in the community will join us in this effort,” said Judge/Executive Knochelmann.