FRANKFORT, Ky. — State lawmakers were given an update June 24 on the state of Kentucky’s housing stock, as part of the first Housing Task Force meeting of the interim session. 

What You Need To Know

  • The first meeting of the Housing Task Force was held Monday, June 24 

  • Made up of state lawmakers, the group will study Kentucky's housing crisis and how the legislature can address it 

  • A report released earlier found the state needs 200,000 additional housing units

  • The task force will meet monthly through the end of the year

Lawmakers from the House and Senate spent most of the meeting hearing from Wendy Smith, deputy director of housing programs at the Kentucky Housing Corporation. Smith provided the group with a look at a study her organization released in May, which gives a comprehensive look at housing.

“My ask to you all would be to really try to avoid getting distracted by niche or secondary housing issues and focus on the supply,” Smith told lawmakers. 

The big takeaway from the May study was the state lacks more than 200,000 housing units, both rentals and properties for sale. 

Smith added it’s an issue that affects people of all income levels, not just those in need of affordable or emergency housing. 

“For rental, the greater need is for low-income folks," Smith said. "But for home ownership, it’s almost evenly split across the income levels. I want to underline that, for home ownership, almost every income band has a shortage of housing.” 

The report found that the number of homes built yearly had not rebounded to levels prior to the 2008 recession. Neither has the construction workforce.

As for what’s being built, Smith said it’s either larger apartment buildings or single-family homes, leaving out “missing middle” housing like duplexes and townhomes. 

Her report also looked at homelessness in the state. It found the number of people experiencing homelessness is at its highest level in five years. 

“First-time homelessness is worrisome," Smith said. "We’re also seeing an increase in people who are employed and homeless. These are indicators of a market that is just getting so expensive or there is just a sacristy of units." 

During the 2023 legislative session, lawmakers passed House Concurrent Resolution 68. It created the Housing Task Force, which will meet monthly through the interim to look at ways the legislature can address housing issues. 

State Rep. Susan Witten, R-Louisville, co-chairs the task force. She said the first meeting was informative and provided a solid foundation for their work moving forward. 

“There are a lot of things that we can dive into, so this is a great first step of really finding the data, finding exactly the gaps that we’re looking at ... and as this task force processes, we’re going to try and find real solutions,” Witten said. 

Lawmakers will take what is learned this year and use it to influence legislation in the coming years. 

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