OWENSBORO, Ky. — Owensboro city officials are weighing a one-year moratorium on new homeless shelters, treatment centers and group homes, citing neighborhood concerns about a rise in homelessness and its impact on the community.

The proposal has sparked debate about balancing compassion for the vulnerable with residents’ safety worries, as voiced by a shelter director who once experienced homelessness himself.

The ordinance, introduced Aug. 19, would pause applications for residential care facilities, clinics, dormitories, fraternity and sorority houses, rehabilitation centers and transitional homes.

It responds to complaints from the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance, which in Dec. 2024 raised issues about drug paraphernalia and safety risks near Foust Elementary School. The moratorium,

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