LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Over $24 million has been pledged to build a shelter, clinic and affordable permanent housing.
On Thursday, the Greenberg administration announced millions of dollars in federal funding will be used to build a new shelter and medical clinic for the city’s homeless residents. Mayor Craig Greenberg says he’s also reached an agreement to buy the property adjacent to the city-owned Hope Village property, between Floyd and Brook Street. There are several existing buildings on the site, including the Vu Hotel and Guesthouse and C2 Event Space.
“People who are experiencing homelessness have different needs, some are families, some are individuals, others have different needs so by having so many different buildings on this campus we will be able to serve the needs of many,” Greenberg said Thursday. The Louisville mayor adds these buildings will be converted into a clinic and nursing station to help patients with ongoing health needs but not hospital level care.
“That medication that goes out with them doesn’t stay with them and it can’t. So you step down the level of care to this campus. This campus can heal you and then you graduate within that campus,” Riggs Lewis of Norton Healthcare said.
Both Norton Healthcare and UofL Health have partnered with the city on the care campus, which will also include shelter space, but the number of beds to be offered has yet to be determined.
Natalie Harris of the Coalition for the Homeless says more shelter beds are certainly needed. “We know we need another almost 400 units of shelter in the city so we can address the housing problem so this will be the first step in that as well,” Harris said.
Greenberg says $24 million in federal dollars has been secured to build out a care campus and also build more affordable permanent housing. Greenberg says his administration has agreed to pay $6.9 million dollars for the property bordered by Floyd and Brooks Street south of downtown.
“As we already know, we are 30,000 units short of affordable housing,” Mayor Greenberg added. The project will also expand on the services currently offered at the Hope Village, which is on the adjacent property.