August 2021 Newsletter

The One Love Louisville Youth Implementation Team is now accepting applications for the 2021-22 cohort.  Applicants must be 14-23 years old and living in Jefferson County.  Selected participants will meet periodically with department heads, the mayor, and other community leaders to learn about important issues in local government and ensure their voice is heard.  Applications will be open until September 18, 2021.  Complete the application here.

Upcoming Events

Virtual Ambassador Institute This Saturday! Learn the tools needed to make a difference in your community! Our next Ambassador Institute will be held virtually this Saturday, August 21 from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Participants will be trained in Mental Health 101, Suicide Prevention, Community Organizing, Conflict Resolution, and the Public Health Approach to Violence. Trainers include experts from Home of the Innocents, the Kent School of Social Work, the Youth Violence Prevention Research Center, and more! If you have ever wanted to learn how you can get involved in violence prevention, this is your chance! Registration is required.  Register below!

KY Tenants Training Series In collaboration with tenant-led organizations across the state, KY Tenants has launched a Fall/Winter 2021 Tenants Organizing Training Series.  Topics include tenants' rights in Kentucky, what a better housing system could look like, how to research your landlord, and more.  Trainings will be hosted in various locations across Kentucky with options to call or Zoom in.  The next event, titled Profits Over People: Understanding the Current Housing System will take place on Saturday, August 21 from 2-3:30pm.  See a schedule of events and register for the upcoming training below.

Get to Know the Good with Whitney/Strong Whitney Strong invites you to Get to Know the Good on Friday, September 17 from 11am-12pm.  Join partners in violence prevention to learn more about the good happening to reduce gun violence right here in Louisville, Kentucky. Speakers include Danea Cloyd from Whitney/Strong, Josh Crawford from the Pegasus Institute, and Lavel White and Kenny Boyd from the Office of Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods. This event will be a zoom webinar during #GiveForGoodLou hosted by the Community Foundation.  Registration is required and can be completed below.  For more information regarding the story and work of Whitney/Strong, please visit whitneystrong.org

Online Reading and Learning

With limited trainings and in-person gatherings, below are some interesting learning opportunities to continue to grow and develop our collective understanding of violence.

With the most recent eviction moratorium set to expire at the end of the month, some are preparing for a wave of evictions in Louisville and across the country.  The lack of affordable housing in Louisville has also been a concern as evidence by the public response for ARP funds.  The Metropolitan Housing Coalition's 2020-21 report titled "COVID-19 and the Struggle to Stay Safe at Home" attempts to shed further light on the issue of housing insecurity with eviction, foreclosure, homelessness, and utility shut off data.   See the full report here.

Cities who Reduced Arrests for Minor Offenses Also Saw Fewer Police Shootings Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Report shows arrest rates have generally been declining since the 1990s. These declines have been further accelerated, in more recent years, due to police reform in America’s largest cities. Police departments in 86 of America’s 100 most populous cities reported 30 percent fewer total arrests in 2019 than they did in 2013. This decline was particularly pronounced among low-level offenses.  The founder of the Police Scorecard argues that this shift away from “broken windows” policing will continue to lead to fewer police shootings.  Read the article here.

A Decade Undone: 2021 Update on Youth Disconnection Rates Based on currently available youth unemployment data from the Bureau for Labor Statistics, enrollment and employment data from the Census Current Population Survey, and school closure information, in May 2020 it is estimated that as many as 9 million young people were out of school and out of work during the pandemic. This is more than twice as many as reported in 2019.  Measure of America, an initiative of the Social Science Council, uses these youth disconnection rates to argue that recovery aid from the pandemic should prioritize opportunity youth.  According to the report, areas of most priority include several rural counties in Kentucky (page 31).  Read the report here.  See the interactive map here.

PLACES: A CDC Project to Track Health Disparities PLACES is a tool for local health departments, regardless of population, to better understand the burden and geographic distribution of health-related outcomes in their areas and assist them in planning public health interventions.  Health outcomes such as the prevalence of cancer, stroke, asthma, diabetes, and more can me compared within any county in the country through an interactive map as well as predictors of unhealthy outcomes such as smoking, sleep, and more.  View the map here.

Removing Youth from Adult Jails: Learning from Success in DC, North Dakota, and Massachusetts The Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018 calls on states and territories to ensure that young people who are awaiting trial in adult court are not held in adult jails and lockups unless it is in the interest of justice to do so. Join the Coalition for Juvenile Justice on Thursday, September 30 from 3-4pm to hear from three jurisdictions that have had success navigating this change. The session will also explore the nuts and bolts of the planning process and practical steps taken to complete the transfer of youth to juvenile facilities, as well as the importance of both legislative and executive actions in making this transaction. This event is free for CJJ members.  Register here.

Community Board

Take a look at some of the latest news, resources, and events in the community.  Keep your community informed by sharing these with family, friends, and neighbors.

Louisville Arms of Compassion Invites You to Meet Virtually Louisville Arms of Compassion calls on people from all parts of our community to stand in solidarity with those suffering after a homicide.  They believe that when one person is harmed, we are all diminished.  Louisville’s Arms of Compassion brings together arms-of-love to replace arms-that-kill so that we can work together to grow a nonviolent city where compassion flourishes.  During each gathering, currently each Friday, 12 – 12:30pm via Zoom, they share the name of a neighbor who was killed, stand in solidarity with those suffering from this loss of a loved one, extend mindful presence to anyone wounded by gun violence, and end with a personal pledge to foster nonviolence and compassion in words, actions, and thoughts. Connect with them on Facebook:  Louisville’s Arms of Compassion or email LouisvilleArmsofCompassion@gmail.com

New Directions Repair Affair The Repair Affair gathers volunteers annually to assist homeowners with repairs ranging from simple yard work to complicated plumbing and electrical work.  To qualify, you must be a low-income homeowner, age 60+ or have a certified disability, and you must own and live in the home.  To learn more about qualifying or volunteering, contact Teresa Devine at 502.719.7153 or email teresad@ndhc.org

Job Corps: Your Pathway to Career Success Looking for a program to start your journey to a successful career? Job Corps could be the program for you! Job Corps is a federally funded residential career program for 16–24-year-olds who qualify under income guidelines. Job Corps offers hands-on vocational training, with the opportunity to gain your high school diploma. The best part? Job Corps is FREE for qualifying applicants. This means your housing, meals, and training supplies are all provided while in the program! After Job Corps, students are provided career transition services to help them find a job that is right for them. If this sounds like a good fit for you or someone you know, e-mail Sarah Sotkiewicz, an admissions counselor here to find out more information on how you could qualify.

Down Payment Assistance Program Now Taking Applications The Office of Housing is now taking applications for down payment assistance on the purchase of a home.  The Louisville Metro Down Payment Assistance Program provides low- to moderate-income homebuyers with down payment and closing costs assistance for purchasing a home in the Louisville Metro area. Funds can be applied towards the purchase of an existing or newly constructed home and are NOT limited to first-time homebuyers.  See terms, qualifications, and more info here.

News and Announcements

The Parks Alliance of Louisville announces major rebrand and initiative

The Louisville Parks Foundation is now the Parks Alliance of Louisville and, as its first step towards fulfilling its refreshed mission, announces the Parks for All Equitable Investment Initiative.

The Parks Alliance of Louisville, a nonprofit organization driving equitable investment in our city parks, unveiled its extensive rebrand in tandem with launching a ‘Parks for All Equitable Investment Initiative’ focused on enhancing our public park system for the betterment of all Louisvillians.  

The new brand identity reflects the organization’s refreshed mission and vision, which has evolved with the needs of the community and aligns with progress being made citywide as we collectively address inequities to become a more resilient city.

“This is a major milestone for our organization as we work towards supporting one another, our communities, and focus on how we can make the greatest impact,” said Brooke Pardue, CEO of the Parks Alliance of Louisville. “As the events of 2020 unfolded, we assessed the work we were doing and how we could really move the needle on equitable access to our public green spaces. We concluded a bold new identity, which reflected our values and vision, was needed.”

The rebrand coincides with the launch of the Parks for All Equitable Investment Initiative. This initiative puts Louisville in the national spotlight as the third city in the country to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the condition of all public parks, and the neighborhoods those parks serve, while simultaneously gathering community input about their desires for park improvements, maintenance, and programming.

“Parks are open to all, making them vital civic infrastructure. They represent a critical component to a thriving city and there needs to be equitable access to positively impact our wellbeing,” said Pardue.

Continue Reading Here.    Visit ParksAllianceLou.org for more info.

Mayor outlines priorities for the city’s 2nd round of American Rescue Plan spending

Mayor Greg Fischer today was joined by Metro Council Budget Chair Bill Hollander and Vice Chair Kevin Kramer to outline proposed priorities for spending the remaining share of federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding.

The plan for that nearly $340 million focuses on four priority areas – Homelessness and Affordable Housing, Workforce Development and Small Business, Healthy Louisville/Healthy Neighborhoods and Public Safety.

The Mayor noted that data and public input “have been essential drivers of our ARP priorities” – from the city’s Build Back Better Together process, to the over 1,000 responses to online surveys and the comments the public shared in three hearings sponsored by Council. And the priorities also reflect discussions with the Council budget leaders, he said, “and our agreement that while our city has many needs, these areas reflect the most effective, inclusive, and equitable way to allocate our ARP funds set forth by the federal government.”

In total, Metro Government has been allocated $388 million in ARP Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, approved by Congress to meet the most urgent needs of communities across the country as they rebuild from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Continue Reading Here.   See Public Feedback for ARP Funds Here.

Stay Connected!

There is great work happening here in the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods, and most importantly, in our community. It is our goal to keep you engaged and co-leading our important work. Our vision for Louisville is a city of safe neighborhoods where everyone is supported, free of violence, and prepared for lifelong success. We can only achieve this together, so stay connected with our monthly newsletters, social media, and visit our website for more information and additional calls to action.

Past OSHN Newsletters can be viewed here.

We would love your feedback. If you have questions or concerns regarding our newsletter, or have a related event that you would like to communicate with our networks, contact Joe Newland.

Take care of each other.
#BeThe1

OSHN Team