Advocates for Fayette County's homeless population are calling for action days before the Safer Kentucky Act, a new anti-crime bill that bans homeless camps takes effect on Wednesday.

The Catholic Action Center and other advocates announced the results of a report on the number of unhoused individuals living in Lexington.

A survey from HUD, taken on January 31st of this year around found that 825 total homeless people live in Lexington.

Another broader survey conducted by the Street Voice Council last winter found more than 2400 also counted.

Unhoused Fayette County Public School students, which numbered close to 1100.

Lexington, Fayette Urban County Council Tonya Fogle was at those among those in attendance, sharing her family's experience with homelessness.

When my son and myself was homeless and he was catching the bus.

What we don't understand is the trauma that kids who are unhoused go through being bullied, being made fun of.

When you come out of a homeless shelter to catch the bus and then not having the things that they needed.

We know that there's a crisis with the law, but you know what?

This is a moral issue.

How can we go to sleep at night knowing that there is a child outside in the cold or sleeping in the car?

How can we do that?

Jenny Ramsey, who heads the Catholic Action Center, says the safer Kentucky Act criminalizes homelessness and does little to solve the problem.

The first thing I would say is, do you realize that this law does not exclude children from prosecution?

The second thing is we cannot arrest our way out of poverty because that's what it is, out of poverty and homelessness.

And we've talked to them.

But now they're going to see the impact of their votes.

And let's just pray that we can all respond and keep our people safe.

The group plans to hold a rally next month to create what they call a yes and God's backyard plan for the Lexington Fayette County area.