LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Louisville Metro Housing Authority is preparing to move residents from the Dosker Manor apartment complex. The city will demolish the building to address unsafe living conditions. 

What You Need To Know

  • Louisville Metro Housing Authority is working to move Dosker Manor residents

  • The apartment complex is being demolished because it’s not safe for residents

  • Doris Meaux has spent seven years at the complex but is looking forward to moving to a new space

  • Residents will move out in three phases which plan to take 18 months

For Doris Meaux, Dosker Manor is more than an apartment complex. 

“This is where my son passed away. And that’s the only thought and memories that I have of him,” Meaux said.

During her seven years at the Louisville Metro Housing Authority building, Meaux has experienced safety hazards like mold in her unit. In May, LMHA announced plans to demolish the building because of dangerous living conditions, which included falling concrete and pests. Meaux will be one of the first residents to move out of the downtown Louisville complex before it is torn down. 

She said, “It’s really dangerous. You know, you learn to come out your door and get a bullet.”

LMHA says the building has problems.

“You have mold all throughout this bathroom and it’s growing on the sink. If mold is growing on your sink, that’s an issue. It’s not supposed to grow on your sink,” Chris Laird, the Louisville Metro Housing Authority maintenance supervisor, said.

Laird has helped maintain LMHA buildings for 16 years. He said many residents failed to report maintenance problems, which is one reason he’s seen the living conditions get worse.

Laird has seen units with bed bugs, plumbing issues, wall damage, broken door windows and asbestos—which can cause cancer.

“Anytime that this happens is a health hazard. We have to try to get these guys moved out as soon as possible. But in some situations, residents won’t report it,” added Laird.

The residents in Dosker Manor’s roughly 800 units will be moved out in phases. Those in Meaux’s building will start moving out by the end of the month.  LMHA plans to complete the move out process in 18 months. 

“It’s a robust timeline very aggressive. But we understand and our leadership team has said it several times that residents can no longer live in these conditions. And we’re moving as fast as we can. We understand that you know, residents say it’s too long, but as you can imagine, we have several residents, so we’re doing it in phases,” said LMHA public information officer, Jailen Leavell.

Qualifying residents will be able to move to a housing facility of their choice. 

LMHA is also providing access to social workers and other resources to help residents with the moving process.   

 “It’s chaotic, and it’s not safe for anybody,” Meaux said.

The city is planning to rebuild on the same site and current residents will be able to move back after completion. 

LMHA is partnering with the Office of Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods, Volunteers of America, and Dare to Care to support the residents in relocating. 

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