News from Mayor Greenburg and the City of Louisville
Mayor Greenberg announces launch of Louisville Economic Development Alliance to chart path for future growth
LOUISVILLE, KY (June 28, 2024) – Mayor Craig Greenberg today joined Deputy Mayor Pat Mulloy to announce next steps toward the creation of the Louisville Economic Development Alliance (LEDA), a new public-private partnership that will lead economic development in Louisville.
Next week, articles of incorporation will be filed to create LEDA as a 501(c)(6) organization charged with leading business attraction and expansion efforts, creating a new citywide brand, and convening partners around talent development, small business and entrepreneur development, finance and bonding, and policy analysis, research, and advocacy.
“The creation of a public-private partnership like this is a national best practice that has worked successfully to boost economic growth in cities across the country, including Cincinnati, Columbus, and Philadelphia,” said Mayor Craig Greenberg. “Creating LEDA will allow Louisville to be nimbler in its business attraction and expansion work, to develop new funding tools for smallbusinesses, to receive investment from public, private, philanthropic, and higher education for key strategies and initiatives, and to convene partner organizations more effectively around talent development and support for entrepreneurs.”
LEDA will be led by a more than 30-member board with representatives from private business, nonprofits, organized labor, higher education, and local government. Board membership is still being finalized, and it will include LEDA incorporators Jim Allen, vice chairman of Baird; Condrad Daniels, president of HJI Supply Chain Solutions; Kim Halbauer, regional president of Fifth Third Bank Kentucky; and Bill Moore, president of UPS Airlines.
The board will hold an initial meeting in July when it is expected to name an interim CEO and launch a national search for a permanent CEO who will leadthe organization. A core team of the city’s economic development staff, including leadership, business attraction and expansion project managers, policy and research experts, and lending and small business personnel, will be contracted to work for LEDA.
“LEDA will be a more effective, customer-responsive organization with a long-term view of how to build our economy and our population. The LEDA board will be charged with helping implement the city’s new economic development plan and working with the CEO on long-term strategic planning,” said Deputy Mayor Pat Mulloy. “This organization will be additive and complementary to the work of our partners in Louisville and in the region, as it will take all of us pulling in the same direction for Louisville to meet its potential.”
The approved FY25 city budget includes $1.5 million in one-time funding from LMG to help LEDA set up operations. The private sector also has committed approximately $2 million for the new entity.
“I want to thank my colleagues on Metro Council for their support, particularly Council President Markus Winkler and Councilman Jeff Hudson who participated in the economic development stakeholder meetings last year,” the Mayor said. “I also want to thank our local business leaders for their commitment to move Louisville in a new direction.”
In August 2023, Mayor Greenberg launched a new strategic planning process for economic development in Louisville, the first time an effort like this has taken place in nearly a decade. Approximately 80 business, nonprofit, government, and education leaders joined consultants Ginovus and Thomas P. Miller and Associates (TPMA) to participate in a series of listening sessions around how the city can improve educational attainment, attract and retain talent, increase access to capital for businesses, and better support entrepreneurs.
The listening sessions and additional public feedback culminated in the development of Growing Louisville Together, a bold, results-oriented economic development plan based on the fundamental principle that for the city to prosper, people in every neighborhood must thrive economically.
Since releasing the plan in December, LMG have already begun implementing action items detailed in the plan, including:
• Introducing reforms to the Land Development Code to allow for middle housing on single family properties;
• Making new investments in our parks, community centers and libraries to ensure that people in neighborhoods across the city have access to community gathering spaces;
• Worked with the state to secure historic investments in several downtown projects, such as the Belvedere, Louisville Gardens, and the Community Care Campus;
• Investing in building up the LOUMED District to attract even more highly skilled healthcare professionals to our city; and
• Launching a new nonprofit, Thrive by 5 Louisville, as the first step to creating a path to free, universal pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds across our city.
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Crisis Call Diversion Program to operate 24/7
Effective July 1, alternative response model will operate 24 hours a day
LOUISVILLE, KY (June 27, 2024) – Mayor Craig Greenberg today joined leaders from Seven Counties Services, Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD), Emergency Services and Councilman Ben Reno-Weber to announce the city’s successful Crisis Call Diversion Program (CCDP), also known as “Deflection,” will expand its service hours to 24 hours a day, seven days a week in all eight LMPD divisions beginning Monday, July 1, 2024. The program sends certain 911 calls to a non-police response and currently operates from 10 a.m. -2 a.m., seven days a week.
“By further expanding our Deflection program to operate around the clock, we’re ensuring even more people across our city will be able to benefit from these services, as well as giving our police officers more hours available to focus on violent crime,” said the Mayor. “I want to thank Seven Counties Services for being an excellent partner to our city. We know these additional service hours will make a difference and will help build on our progress to make Louisville a safer, stronger and healthier city for all our people.”
The pilot program was initially launched in March of 2022 with a focus on LMPD’s Fourth Division. Following its success, the program expanded a year later to all LMPD divisions, and then expanded again in January of 2024 to operate 16 hours a day, seven days a week.
“I could not be prouder that our Deflection program, which was created right here in our city by our city employees and partners, will now be a 24-hours-a-day service, just like 911 calls for Police, Fire and EMS,” said Emergency Services Executive Director Jody Meiman.
Since its launch, the CCDP has deflected about 4,000 calls. Just this year, the MetroSafe 911 Center has deflected more than 1,500 calls to a non-police response and the Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) made more than 500 mobile runs to help individuals in need. These Deflection efforts continue to provide LMPD officers, as well as MetroSafe 911 Calltakers, with more hours of time that might have been spent on the calls, further allowing officers to focus on violent crime.
“The Deflection model has helped our officers focus more on crime-related incidents and better allocate our resources, which in turn, assists our residents and visitors. Sometimes a call simply does not warrant a police response. We support the expansion of the Deflection program, and we are grateful that citizens are receiving the appropriate services they need to assist them,” said LMPD Deputy Chief Steven Healey.
As of July 1, Seven Counties Services will have 46 staff members dedicated to Deflection response, including 13 CTWs at MetroSafe and 27 Mobile Crisis Responders responding in the field.
"We are honored to continue providing compassionate, equitable, and intentional care to individuals in times of crisis,” said Nicole Wiseman, Deflection Unit Manager, Seven Counties Services. “This expansion of hours will help build a more resilient community for all."
Here’s how the program works:
- When a person calls 911, MetroSafe calltakers initially triage the call by asking questions such as “are you experiencing a mental health crisis” and questions regarding safety, such as weapons in their possession or if they’ve taken active steps to harm themselves or others, requiring Emergency Medical Services (EMS) intervention.
- Calls from 1st and 2ndparties are eligible for a possible CTW response. Calls from a third party, a person who is not physically with the individual experiencing a mental health crisis or calls where there are weapons involved, are not eligible for a possible CTW response.
- If deemed appropriate, the call is transferred to a CTW in a Behavioral Health Hub within MetroSafe.
- The CTW team functions somewhat like crisis hotline staff to de-escalate, provide emotional support, create a safety plan and problem solve with the person in crisis.
- If it’s determined that a face-to-face response would be beneficial, CTWs initiate a mobile response.
- Mobile responders, trained in mental health crisis intervention, meet the person where they are to further de-escalate and assess the situation and, if appropriate, connect the individual to services. Responders have the option of transporting the person to a treatment facility or to any other community resource including shelter.
- If the call does not meet the initial criteria for an alternative response and LMPD arrives on scene, they can self-initiate a mental health response through Deflection once they determine the scene is safe and secure.
“I’m excited to be a part of the continued expansion of the deflection program today. This initiative supports our community’s more vulnerable citizens, which allows law enforcement and emergency management teams to focus on what they do best. I would like to thank the Administration for supporting this vital service,” said Councilman Ben Reno-Weber, D-8.
To watch an informational video about Deflection featuring Councilman Ben Reno-Weber and Executive Director Meiman, visit MetroTV’s YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmyRva6a5lo
Mayor Greenberg and housing leaders recognize importance of programs to help Louisvillians achieve homeownership
REVERT has helped more than 15 families after launching with city funds in 2023
LOUISVILLE, KY (June 26, 2024) – Mayor Craig Greenberg joined housing leaders to celebrate Homeownership Month by highlighting resources available in Louisville, including Down Payment Assistance and REVERT, both Louisville Metro Government-funded programs aimed at helping income-eligible families realize the dream of homeownership.
Over the last decade, the Office of Housing and Community Development has helped more than 625 families attain homeownership through the Down Payment Assistance program, and last year, LMG and Metro Council allocated $13 million to the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund to launch REVERT. The REVERT program is devoted to helping families disproportionately impacted by redlining achieve homeownership.
“While we cannot undo the damage and upheaval of the past, the establishment of the REVERT program was another small step we could take to assist those negatively impacted by redlining and other racist practices. Together, Down Payment Assistance, REVERT, and other programs like Section 8 to Homeownership can make homeownership affordable for more Louisvillians,” said Mayor Craig Greenberg. “At the same time, we are working to create or preserve 15,000 affordable units by 2027 to close the gap between our existing housing stock and what’s needed to reduce the number of cost burdened households in our city.”
Since January 2023, nearly 3,700 affordable housing units have been created or started construction – many with funding assistance from the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund (LAHTF), which also oversees the REVERT program.
Since launching REVERT last year, more than 15 families have purchased their home in communities affected by redlining. The REVERT program has enough funds to provide direct assistance to more than 200 clients in purchasing a home. Each eligible family can receive up to $50,000 for home improvements.
“Redlining robbed Louisville residents of generational wealth just because of their zip codes and, in some cases, the color of their skin,” said Christie McCravy, Executive Director of LAHTF. “The LAHTF is blessed to oversee a project that rights the wrongs of the past and works to level the playing field for eligible families in our community.”
Kimberly Burns was looking for a home in 2023 when she learned about the REVERT program. LAHTF and the Office of Housing and Community Development helped her obtain funds through the REVERT and Down Payment Assistance programs to purchase a home in the Park Duvalle neighborhood this year. This is the first house she has ever owned.
“It gives me joy to know that when I come home, that this is mine, and that when I pay my mortgage, that I’m paying a mortgage for myself and not to a landlord,” Burns said. “I’m looking forward to making changes and improving my home.”
In addition to Burns, Down Payment Assistance has helped 115 clients buy homes this fiscal year as Louisville Metro Government aims to close homeownership gaps that have existed for decades.
“For too many in Louisville, the dream of homeownership and having a safe, healthy, space can seem out of reach,” Marilyn Harris, Director of the Office of Housing and Community Development, said. “We have helped hundreds of clients buy their home through Down Payment Assistance and REVERT has helped close the gap even more for some families grossly affected by redlining. This is one small way of rewriting the wrongs of the past as we strive to provide equitable opportunities for all Louisville neighbors.”
Last week, Louisville Metro Council approved the Fiscal Year 2025 budget, which included additional funds for Down Payment Assistance and $15 million for LAHTF to continue incentivizing the construction of affordable housing in every neighborhood.
"If anyone has ever wanted to fulfill their dreams, you should reach out to the Affordable Trust Fund. Homeownership is generational wealth,” said Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins (D-1). "I want to thank the administration and the Mayor's Office for believing in projects like this and for believing in programs that support people who look like me."
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) maintains a strong presence in Louisville. Among their many services, HUD provides education and counseling courses to aspiring homeowners looking to apply their subsidy toward a mortgage, instead of rent.
“Homeownership Month is a good time to ponder on the efforts taken to remove structural barriers to ensure the most vulnerable residents of Louisville attain affordable homeownership,” Charles President, HUD Kentucky Field Office Director, said.
For more information about REVERT, visit the LAHTF’s website.
For more information about DPA, visit the Office Housing and Community Development’s website.
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Office of Housing and Community Development
With a focus on ensuring safe, affordable, quality housing for all, the Office of Housing and Community Development has helped thousands of residents attain and maintain homeownership through down payment and home repair assistance programs and enhanced neighborhood revitalization through the work of the Landbank Authority. Louisville Metro Government aims to add 15,000 new affordable housing units by 2027, and since January 2023, the city has invested more than $145 million to the creation and preservation of affordable housing.
Mayor Greenberg Initiates Major Reforms at LMPD
Significant changes include a new interim Chief of Police and immediate changes to sexual harassment procedures at LMPD
LOUISVILLE, KY (June 25, 2024) – Mayor Craig Greenberg announced Tuesday that Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel has resigned from the Louisville Metro Police Department, effective immediately. Upon receiving her resignation, the Mayor appointed Acting Chief of Police Paul Humphrey to serve as Interim Chief of Police.
“Interim Chief Humphrey is fully empowered to make the decisions necessary to reduce gun violence, improve public safety, manage the department, take disciplinary action and implement the policy and priority changes we agree are necessary, particularly surrounding sexual harassment and police misconduct,” Mayor Greenberg said. He thanked Gwinn-Villaroel for her service and continued, “The people of Louisville expect all of us in public service to work together with integrity to make our city safer, stronger and healthier, and I am confident Interim Chief Humphrey and his team at LMPD will do that.”
“It is a great honor to serve in the role of Interim Chief, and I appreciate the Mayor’s confidence in me to continue moving the department forward,” said Interim Chief Humphrey. “Despite the change in leadership, our goal remains the same. I am proud to work with all LMPD officers and employees who are committed to continuing to protect and serve the citizens of Louisville.”
As part of Tuesday’s briefing, Mayor Greenberg and Interim Chief Humphrey also announced immediate changes to sexual harassment policies and procedures at LMPD, specifically focused on more clearly defining sexual harassment, improving and expanding the reporting process, requiring new training, and adding support systems for employees who report sexual harassment.
Clearly defining sexual harassment
LMPD employee policies have been updated to better align with the polices of Louisville Metro Government. This includes an updated definition of sexual harassment to clarify the differences between sexual harassment, sexual abuse and discrimination. Policies have also been updated to clarify that officers found to have violated sexual harassment policies will be disciplined accordingly, including potential termination.
New ways to report
Currently, officers seeking to report sexual harassment must do so through the LMPD chain of command, the office of the Chief, the Special Investigations Division or the Office of Inspector General. Now these officers have options outside of LMPD and can also report sexual harassment through a Metro Government ethics tipline or to Louisville Metro Government Department of Human Resources. The ethics tipline number is 888-226-2264.
Mandatory training
In the wake of initial sexual harassment allegations earlier this month, members of the LMPD command staff participated in new training for sexual harassment prevention and response. Going forward, all officers and staff will participate in new training that will focus on the updated sexual harassment policies, definitions, ways to report sexual harassment and training for supervisors who witness or are made aware of sexual harassment.
Additional support systems
The Mayor and Interim Chief also announced new support for officers who report sexual harassment. Investigation updates will be provided to these individuals on a regular basis. Additional measures to prevent retaliation will also be put in place.
“Let me be abundantly clear: LMPD will not tolerate sexual harassment. We are implementing significant policy updates. We have begun enhanced training and are revising and improving our reporting and handing processes,” added Interim Chief Humphrey. “Additionally, a variety of support systems are available for employee wellness including through our Summit Wellness Center. We are committed to accountability and fostering a safe work environment that is welcoming where all employees feel comfortable and secure.”
“This is the beginning of what I expect to be major improvements and transformative reforms at LMPD. That work is ongoing and there will be more announcements soon,” said Mayor Greenberg.
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