Evictions are rising. And Louisville isn't doing enough to prevent them, nonprofits say

Nonprofit leaders say Louisville is not doing enough to prevent evictions, as the number of local filings surpasses pre-pandemic levels.

At a press conference Tuesday, representatives from several housing-related organizations called on elected officials to dedicate at least $16 million toward rent assistance and other programs in the upcoming fiscal budget – a figure that doubles what Mayor Craig Greenberg recently proposed.

"We've been telling them that the federal funds were going to dry up and that there needed to be a plan before that happened. And they have done nothing," said Celine Mutuyemariya, organizing director of the Black Leadership Action Coalition of Kentucky, referencing more than $125 million in rent and utility assistance distributed by Louisville through the COVID-19 pandemic. "... We need the commitment of the $16 million to demonstrate a good faith effort from elected officials."

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In his first budget address, Greenberg called housing a "critical issue" for Louisville and proposed spending $8 million on rent assistance and home repairs, along with $15 million on affordable housing construction.

His budget also includes funding for a Community Care Campus that will provide medical services and temporary housing for homeless people, as well as money to continue the Hope Village, a "safe outdoor space" that opened in 2022.

In an email, mayor spokesman Kevin Trager said Greenberg's budget includes $24.9 million total in "new, direct spending on affordable housing and homelessness."

"Currently, the Metro Council is scheduling budget hearings as they work towards finalizing the budget before July 1, and we encourage community members to be involved in the process through these budget hearings," Trager said.

Nonprofit leaders say all the services outlined by the mayor are needed. But with eviction filings continuing to rise, more money is needed to keep people in the homes they already have.

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According to data from Kentucky's Administrative Office of the Courts, more than 5,500 evictions were filed in Jefferson County in the first four months of 2023, topping the nearly 5,300 evictions filed in the first four months of 2019.

"The only defense to an eviction for nonpayment of rent is payment," said Stewart Pope, director of advocacy for the Legal Aid Society, which provides free representation for low-income residents. "... Rental assistance is vital for us to be able to negotiate settlement with landlords and keep people housed."

In addition to more funding for rent assistance, speakers on Tuesday called for extra spending on eviction mediation, outreach and security deposits.

Ronnie Morris, an organizer with VOCAL-KY, who was homeless for 15 years before receiving a subsidized housing voucher, said Louisville can make such programs a priority if it reduced spending on police and incarceration.

"They can give us the money that we need," Morris said of elected officials. "They want to push for police to have a gym and they want to push for other things that don't help our houseless community, our low-income community and the people that may have mental health issues. ... We don't need a new jail. We need housing."

Residents are invited to provide input on Louisville's budget through an online form at louisvilleky.wufoo.com/forms/z1d6ky3v1eq239k.

Community members can also share input in person at a meeting at 6 p.m. May 30 in the Metro Council Chambers at 601 W. Jefferson St. Speakers must sign up beginning at 5:30 p.m. and will have three minutes each to address council members.

Reach reporter Bailey Loosemore at bloosemore@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4646 or on Twitter @bloosemore.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville nonprofits call for more funding for eviction prevention