Have a working smoke detector. An issue with LOUISVILLE’s rent assistance has often left many tenants facing potential eviction. Governor Beshear has provided $30 million in funds to the city, but the money has yet to be distributed. WLKY MARK VANDERHOFF TELLS WHY MONEY DON’T REACH THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT. Mayor Craig Greenberg’s administration says they are working on a solution to this problem. But for now, we’re told, eviction court is still happening here in the Hall of Justice and people are losing their homes. It all only hurts because I just feel like I’m going out on the streets and I’m going to be without status. Felicia Saunders is one of the many clients of the Legal Aid Society facing eviction. But at the moment, she is unable to access any rent assistance funds. This area, the rental assistance area and the money that was generated by the virus will expire one day. BUT THIS IS JUST LIKE THE RECKONING KIND OF CAME BOOM DAY, HERE IT IS. Stewart Pope says the problem began on December 22 when the KENTUCKY HOUSING CORPORATION stopped issuing rental assistance to LOUISVILLE residents. On the same day, Governor Andy Beshear announced that the state had transferred $38.2 million in rental aid to metro Louisville. I guess to me, it looks like there might have been planning for what to do with those apps that were hanging around. According to a statement from BESHEARS, the state had to immediately transfer the money or return it to the federal government. At the time, the metro government was moving between the Majorca departments of Greg Fisher and Craig Greenberg. We asked Deputy Mayor Nicole George about the problem and challenge of making money for those who need it. So I can talk about what I know, which is what happened as of January 2 or 3, when not getting enough and we’ve spent the last 18 days working really hard in partnership with our housing office. Mayor Greenberg has been very involved in really working on developing a strategy that looks both at preventing evictions from happening in the area immediately, as well as long term housing stabilization needs. George says Mayor Greenberg should make an announcement about a new program to distribute that money next week. Master’s
Mayor Greenberg undertakes to solve the rent assistance problem
Updated: 6:46 PM EST January 20, 2023
Presently Louisville resident Felicia Saunders’ biggest fear is homelessness, but she can’t get rent assistance money to live on in the short term. He said. Saunders is one of many Louisville renters facing eviction, even though the Metro government received $38.2 million in COVID-era rental aid from the state on Dec. 22. The Kentucky Housing Corporation, a statewide quasi-government agency, has been handling rent assistance payments for Louisville residents after the city extinguished earlier funds. But starting Dec. 22, the agency stopped serving applicants from Louisville, and the problem was that the city didn’t restart its old rent assistance program. “To me, there seemed to be no planning of what to do with those applications that were pending,” said Stuart Pope, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society, which assists Saunders and others in eviction court. The transfer of money from the state to the city came as the Metro government was transitioning between the administrations of Mayor Greg Fisher and Craig Greenberg, but the state could not control that timing, according to Crystal Staley, a spokesman for Gov. Andy Beshear. “Under the rules of the federal program, The Commonwealth should have diverted the relief money we expected to get from the federal government to Louisville and Lexington, or we would have lost that money for all of Kentucky,” she wrote in an email. A new plan will be rolled out next week for distributing those funds, according to the deputy mayor of public health and public services, Nicole George. 2, upo in opening, we’ve spent the last 18 days working incredibly hard in partnership with our housing office… Mayor Greenberg has been very engaged, really working on developing a strategy that looks to prevent evictions at once as well as long-term housing stabilization needs” Time is of the essence, Pope and others say, as eviction court continues to meet and residents like Saunders face the prospect of losing their homes.
Presently Louisville resident Felicia Saunders’ biggest fear is homelessness, but she can’t get rental assistance money to live on in the short term.
“I don’t want my children out on the streets, so it hurts for me,” she said.
The Kentucky Housing Corporation, a statewide quasi-government agency, has been handling rent assistance payments for Louisville residents after the city extinguished the earlier funds. But starting December 22, the agency stopped serving applicants from Louisville.
The problem was that the city had not restarted its old rental assistance program.
“To me, there seemed to be no planning of what to do with those applications that were pending,” said Stuart Pope, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society, which assists Saunders and others in eviction court.
The timing of the money transfer from the state to the city came as the Metro government was transitioning between the administrations of Mayor Greg Fisher and Craig Greenberg.
But the state could not control that timing, according to Crystal Staley, a spokesman for Governor Andy Beshear.
“Under the rules of the federal program, the Commonwealth had to transfer our relief money that we expected to receive from the federal government to Louisville and Lexington, or we would have lost that money throughout Kentucky,” she wrote in an email.
Mayor Craig Greenberg will roll out a new plan next week for distributing that money, according to the mayor’s deputy for public health and public services, Nicole George.
“So, I can speak to what I know,” said George, “As of January 2nd, upon opening, we’ve spent the last 18 days working incredibly hard in partnership with our housing office… Mayor Greenberg has been very involved, really working on Develop a strategy that looks to prevent evictions in immediate and long-term housing stabilization needs.”
Time is of the essence, Pope and others say, as eviction court continues to meet and residents like Saunders face the prospect of losing their homes.