Homelessness, the city’s largest police force and the Jefferson County Public School system are at the top of some Louisvillian’s minds lately.
In October last year, Louisville residents joined LPM News for Small Groups, Big Conversations, a listening session series with community members. Across three separate conversations, residents from different backgrounds, careers and neighborhoods said that Louisville is in need of multi-dimensional change.
The plight of unhoused people and how local institutions are addressing problems was a common theme.
It’s been a year since the “Safer Kentucky Act” passed in the state General Assembly. Also known as House Bill 5, the anti-crime law created dozens of increased penalties. This includes increasing the penalties for fleeing police, banning “street camping” on public property and making carjacking a felony.
Since the law went into effect in July, dozens of people in Louisville have been arrested or cited for illegal camping. In September, an LMPD officer gave a woman a citation while she was in labor underneath an overpass.
“We cannot use Metro Corrections and [University of Louisville Hospital] emergency rooms as a means of getting people off the street,” said Howard Abraham, a Louisville resident and Child Protective Services social worker.
For Louisville resident and endocrinologist Lina Yassine, people experiencing homelessness need a path toward permanent housing, not bench warrants and citations.
“The rule is that if they found a homeless person on the street, he would be arrested,” Yassine said. “Isn't it more worthy to find housing for them?...Who came up with this legislation, and financially, how is it making sense?”
The Jefferson County District Court has a new program to clear illegal camping citations. The program works in tandem with local nonprofits like VOCAL-KY and the St. John Center to connect people who are experiencing homelessness with housing services, addiction treatment and other help. The first docket was held last month, but few people attended.
Homelessness is at the forefront of Jennifer Twyman’s mind. She’s an organizer with advocacy nonprofit VOCAL-KY.
“Our unhoused folks, folks that struggle with substance use, especially in the city and in the downtown area, are very much misunderstood,” Twyman said. “We have some amazing, talented people on our sidewalks that, given the right tools and support, could fully contribute to better the city in ways that we probably can't even imagine, because they don't ever get the chance.”
‘Where are people supposed to go?’
Abraham said permanent and affordable housing is critical. Almost every day, he said he notices several abandoned buildings in the city that could be converted into housing for those in need.
“I know it's easier said than done, but there has to be a way that we can bring basic housing…and basic food and basic medical care to include mental health treatment,” Abraham said.
The city has also made some headway on some housing projects. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg promised to build 15,000 more affordable housing units in the city by 2026, but is only a third of the way toward that goal.
City leaders say they’re investing in a project that will offer housing as well as resources for people experiencing homelessness.
Louisville Metro Council allocated nearly half a million dollars in this year’s budget to the Community Care Campus, operated by Volunteers of America. The facility currently offers a temporary emergency shelter for families and individuals experiencing homelessness.
The temporary family shelter opened in December and the campus is expected to be fully operational in 2027, according to city officials. Kentucky lawmakers allocated $22.5 million for construction.
City officials say the Community Care Campus will eventually include permanent housing for people and families in need, transitional housing for teens and a mental and behavioral health clinic. The 80-unit Monarch Station housing complex is expected to open in spring 2026, VOA officials said last month.
‘Two failing systems’: JCPS and LMPD
Local business consultant Ken Rohleder said Jefferson County Public Schools and the Louisville Metro Police Department have failed the city.
“You can have great respect for the heroes in both institutions, but acknowledge they're a disaster,” Rohleder said. “It's not like they need to be tweaked around the edges. They are a complete failure.”
One recent example of a JCPS failure was the bussing fiasco at the start of the 2023-24 school year, which led to the district cutting nearly all transportation to magnet schools.
JCPS plans to reinstate some transportation in March. By then, students will have about two months left of the academic year.
The district’s police force also has issues. The JCPS police force has 55 officers and more than a dozen other personnel, and it costs $5 million more this year than the Jefferson County Board of Education budgeted for. The district has made hundreds of school-based arrests in the last two years, which is much higher than previous years. All but three of the arrests in 2024 were Black students.
Police are also a major recipient of Louisville Metro’s spending, making up nearly a quarter of its $1.1 billion budget. City officials say that investment is needed for an understaffed LMPD, which is grappling with violent crime and a lack of trust from community members. especially following the 2020 killing of Breonna Taylor.
On top of that, the city’s expected consent decree is on the rocks. A federal judge has yet to approve the agreement between Louisville Metro and the Department of Justice. And new DOJ leaders under President Donald Trump said they may reconsider recent police reform agreements negotiated by the Biden administration.
Many participants expressed concern about LMPD and officers’ behavior, saying things like “let’s fix the police force,” “it’s a nationwide problem” and “I feel like our police force just comes down so heavy.”
Twyman said she’s concerned the city may fall short on police reform, calling Louisville’s response to the DOJ report on LMPD misconduct “inadequate at best.”.
“Those are really serious things that could have had fantastic movement with them and didn't,” Twyman said.
Local budget process starts soon
In Louisville, the mayor typically proposes a budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 in April. After that, the Metro Council takes over the process. That involves inviting department heads from across Louisville Metro Government for hearings where they answer questions and make their budget appeals.
This is also a period when residents can offer feedback to council members, either at public hearings or by contacting them directly.
Council members typically finalize their version of the budget by early June and approve it by the end of that month.
