History
The Public Housing Program was an outgrowth of President Roosevelt's economic recovery programs of the early 1930's. To stimulate recovery, Congress enacted public work programs designed to provide jobs, and in the course of doing so, to provide public buildings and housing for the poor.
The National Recovery Act of 1933 authorized the use of federal funds to finance low-cost housing. It produced numerous low-rent housing projects, housing in resettlement projects and subsistence homesteads. In 1934, then-Mayor of Louisville Neville Miller made application to the Public Works Administration (PWA) for a housing development in Louisville. Two sites were purchased and developed: College Court and LaSalle Place.
Such a federal government role in owning, developing and providing housing, generally considered private market functions, was successfully challenged in a 1996 lawsuit, United States vs. Certain Lands. The decision required the Administration and Congress to seek other means of achieving the same results.
Inspired by the federal example, a number of states had passed enabling legislation creating local housing authorities with the power to finance, develop and administer low-income housing, as well as to receive federal assistance. In 1933, the Kentucky Legislature authorized the creation of the Municipal Housing Commission. It was organized in 1937 as a political subdivision of the State and renamed the Housing Authority of Louisville (HAL) in 1970.
Overview
The Louisville Metro Housing Authority (LMHA), formerly known as the Housing Authority of Louisville, is a non-profit agency responsible for the development and management of federally subsidized housing in the Louisville Metro area. In 2003, Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson and the Louisville Metro Council approved the merger of the Housing Authority of Louisville and Housing Authority of Jefferson County, thereby creating the Louisville Metro Housing Authority. The Board of Commissioners was also merged.
The LMHA presently manages over 3,700 units with eligibility determined primarily by federal income guidelines. LMHA has four family housing communities and five housing communities for accessible and senior citizens, and a growing number of scattered site housing. Over 7,000 of the Louisville Metro's residents reside in public or subsidized housing. A nine-member Board of Commissioners, appointed by the Metro Mayor, serves as the policy making body of the agency.
Funding for the agency's operation comes from residents' rents and annual operating subsidy from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The agency also receives Capital Improvement funds on an annual basis from HUD. Periodically, the agency also applies for funds from HUD and the City's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to finance various modernization improvements.
LMHA Resident Profile
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Total population: 4,117
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Total families: 2,405
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Children under age 18: 1,427 (34% of population)
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Ethnic breakdown: 80% black, 16% white, 4% other
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Average annual income: $9,915
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Source of income for head of household: -- 37% receive federal assistance (AFDC & SSI)
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Average rent: $190/month
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Average age of head of household: 44 years old in family communities and 61 years old in elderly communities
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Marital status of head of household: 97% single
- Total female head of household: 62%
- Average length of occupancy: 6 years
LMHA Operations
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Operating Budget 2020: $35,306,485
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Sources of Income: 55% subsidy, 17% rental, 28% other
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Number of employees: approximately 255
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Number of units: 2,791
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Properties: 1 multi-family sites, 5 elderly and accessible sites
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869 scattered site units
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Occupancy rate: 86%
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Administration of Housing Choice Vouchers for over 9,325 Section 8 Units
