Advocates blame cold, lack of city facility for homeless man's death
Slightly before 6 a.m. the morning after Christmas Day, police responded to a report of an unconscious, homeless man at the Government Square bus stop.
Kenneth Martin, 55, was dead when Cincinnati Police and fire arrived. There was nothing suspicious at the scene, according to police.
The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office confirmed Martin's death but the cause remains unknown pending an autopsy.
Cincinnati homeless are dying on our streets
Even without an autopsy, members of The Maslow's Army are blaming the cold for Martin's death. They are also renewing their plea for change. The organization advocates for people battling addiction, alcoholism and mental illnesses.
In a Facebook post, Sam and Susan Landis of Maslow's Army, a nonprofit called the death "unacceptable" and said the city needs a 24-hour a day facility where the homeless can find relief from the cold and heat.
Martin was familiar to members of The Maslow's Army.
"We met Ken on our first Sunday outreach on Fountain Square almost one year ago. He was inspired to get his life together and began taking steps towards self-improvement," read the another Facebook post on the Sam and Susan Landis page.
In August, the post said, Martin slipped in his recovery effort but "Maslow's Army still continued to love on him and support him every way we could offering to take him to detox, meeting his basic needs every encounter including just last week."
Maslow's Army intends to continue its fight for a 24-hour shelter, taking its request to city hall. They have their sights set on the old Queensgate jail, a seven-story, 30,000 square foot space, that could house beds, a kitchen and more, Sam Landis said. All the group needs is funding.
There is one point on which Kevin Finn, President of Strategies to End Homelessness, agrees.
"The reality is, there is no reason a homeless person should be sleeping outside right now," Finn said.
In Hamilton County, there are 12 homeless shelters and in Northern Kentucky, there are six, he said. Some are for families, some for women only, others men only. There are also two drop-in homeless shelters, both open 24 hours a day, one on each side of the river. They have expanded capacity for the winter months.
Shelterhouse, The Barron Center for Men in Queensgate offers an additional 200 beds in its winter shelter space through the end of February. Space is open to men and women. The Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky in Covington expands its shelter space through March, Finn said. Neither has ever reached capacity.
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Six or more years ago there was no permanent, winter shelter schedule, Finn said. Shelters opened for the night under certain weather conditions.
The coalition of agencies that partner with Strategies to End Homelessness recognized the need to have 24-hour winter shelter space with regular hours throughout the winter months so people could count on it, he said.
A person in the homeless system for a while typically knows where to find resources, Finn said.
"What they might not know is when the weather gets the way it is now, some of the rules and requirements that are in place during warmer weather months are not required," he said.
Last year, 90 percent of the area's homeless people resided in a shelter, Finn said. Another 16 percent stayed outside on the street, the six percent overlap represents people who both went to shelters but also stayed outside.
There are people who, for a variety of reasons, will not go to shelters, Finn said. Reasons can range from mental health disorders, addiction or something else.
For placement or help getting in a homeless shelter, call (513) 381-7233.
Both Susan and Sam Landis have experienced homelessness and addiction. They are also studying for careers in the social service field at Northern Kentucky University. The system is not set up to meet the needs of homeless, Sam Landis said.
"We want to go to city hall and fight this," Susan Landis said. "Tax dollars are being spent on a stadium and a fraction of this money could be used to help keep people warm. There are many groups out there with multimillion-dollar grants."
"We still have this problem," she said. "Let's face it, something's not being done."
Councilman Chris Seelbach was one of the first to tweet the news of Ken Martin’s death. While the coroner has yet to determine the cause of death, Seelbach and others have drawn the conclusion Martin froze to death.
“We must do better,” Seelbach tweeted. “It’s just a matter of priorities. More tax money for those most vulnerable. Less tax money for millionaires and billionaires.”
Exactly where that money would come from and how much, Seelbach didn’t elaborate. He didn’t respond to messages left by The Enquirer.
Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld said he anticipates the council in 2018 will look at the issue of homelessness and make sure there are enough 24-hour shelters to protect people from dangerous weather, either hot or cold.
“It’s 2017,” Sittenfeld said. “This is the United States. No one should freeze to death under any circumstance.”
As The Maslow's Army founders and volunteers prepare to battle city hall, they are also planning a memorial service for Martin at noon Sunday, Jan. 28, on Fountain Square. Guests are asked to bring coats and scarves. Because Martin had no family, a collection is also being taken for burial costs.
Donations for Martin will be accepted through the Maslow's Army website, www.maslowsarmy.org, or a check or money order can be mailed to
Maslow's Army P.O BOX 14187 Cincinnati, Ohio, 45250.
Scott Wartmancontributed.