City providing resources to Dosker Manor and other residents of Louisville's public housing

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Dosker Manor, Louisville's largest public housing complex, will soon be torn down after years of neglect, and as residents are moving out the city is moving in to help make the transition easier.

The city's Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods has been tasked with assisting the transition for at least a year, helping outgoing residents with resources and counseling. They're also reaching out to residents of all of the city's public housing.

Residents began moving out of Dosker Manor in early August, after years of complaints about neglect, mold, roaches, maggots, malfunctioning elevators and violent crime. On Thursday, OSHN held a cookout and outreach event at the housing complex on Muhammad Ali Blvd. near downtown Louisville. It was attended by social workers and professional clinicians offering social services, financial housing assistance and mental health counseling to the residents who are preparing to find a new place to call home.

Mark Wilson is glad he's moving soon."Any place will probably be a little better than this place," he said.

Despite all the problems he's encountered, Wilson said the place isn't all bad.

"I like Dosker Manor," Wilson said. "Even with as much that happens here, I still love the place. But yes, I'm ready to move."

Nannette Dix, the manager for the city's Trauma Resilient Communities Program said, like Wilson, many of the hundreds of residents there have mixed emotions.

"People are thinking, 'Man, I know everybody's ready to get out of Dosker.' Some people are not. Because this is their comfort," Dix said.

While the Supportive Housing Program will continue to offer resources to Dosker Manor residents, Dix said the program will soon offer resources to more public housing residents, many of whom live in violent environments such as the housing complex at Parkway Place.

"A lot of violence happens around those [places]," Dix said. "It's unfortunate, but we are going in and we're going to make sure that the folks there are getting what they need."

As it expands, the program hopes to identify individuals experiencing the possibility of homelessness, including seniors, people with disabilities and/or people struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues.

"We're really looking at avenues of how we can make this really community oriented and how we can bring the community services right at the door," Dix said.

Previous Coverage: