'It's a blessing' | Louisville affordable housing units to get renovations through grant funding | Local News

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Steps are being taken to help maintain and improve existing affordable housing units in Louisville.

Monday morning, Louisville nonprofit New Directions received a $6.36 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for energy efficient renovations at its Directions Apartments. The grant is through HUD's Green and Resilient Retrofit Program.

New Directions receives HUD grant for affordable housing renovations. (WDRB image)

Lori Hudson Flanery, New Directions President and CEO called this a "huge investment" for Louisville.

New Directions has more than 900 units across Louisville, housing more than 1,000 people. Flanery said the average resident is a young mom bringing in less than $10,000 per year.

The Directions Apartments is not a single complex, but instead is made up of 106 affordable housing units spread across 13 locations in the city.

"These buildings, they have great bones," said Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner Julia Gordon. "And by investing and reinvesting in these facilities, what we can do is keep this housing viable and keep it from going offline and keep it from losing even more supply."

Gordon said everywhere she goes across the country, she sees the need for more and better housing.

"We're facing a housing supply crisis right now, on both the home ownership and the rental side. We need more supply," she said.

In reporting last week, WDRB found the affordable housing needs for Louisville's lowest-income households has increased. More than one-quarter of all city households paid more than the recommended amount for housing expenses like rent and utilities.

Those are among the findings from Metro government's new report on housing trends. The study evaluated 2017 through 2021, updating a prior review that began in 2012.

In particular, it shows that there were not enough homes in Louisville for households earning up to $25,410 – the lowest income group studied. The inventory lagged by more than 36,000 units, up from the roughly 31,400 needed as of 2017.

Last week, Mayor Craig Greenberg also unveiled the final version of his housing plan called My Louisville Home, aimed at creating or preserving 15,000 affordable housing units by 2027.

"The good news is, we're making progress. But we also know that there is so much work still to be done across so many different areas," Greenberg said Monday.

Daniel Payne said he's lived in Louisville off and on most of his life, and he's lived at the Directions Apartment location on West Broadway the past eight years.

"I was actually homeless. I went through a pretty bad break-up," Payne explained.

He said his life has dramatically changed since finding this place to call home. Monday, he and other residents met to learn about some of the changes to expect through this HUD grant.

"For my apartment, I think it's a really good thing. That building could use a really good upgrade," he said.

But Payne said the upgrade he's most excited to see, is one he believes he'll find in himself.

"How you live is how you want to be represented so, if somebody comes to my apartment, I want it to be nice. I'm trying to find a better job. I want to do better for myself. If my crib is looking better, it feels better to step out of something that looks good," he said.

Payne said he's found comfort knowing he has a place to stay.

"It's a blessing, I can say that. It is," he said.

He said he also is thankful to see resources from the city and federal government putting an emphasis on affordable housing.

"The more they put into Louisville to help people get up off the ground, to help tents gets tore down and put them into something that they can afford -- of course the homeless got to be willing to do it, too. It takes two. I was willing to get up and you know, I had help," said Payne.

According to New Directions, the renovation of the Directions Apartments is part of more than $145 million of planned renovations of four New Directions property groups. Currently, $51 million of updates are underway in the Shawnee Renaissance and Roosevelt Apartments, which is more than 220 units total. This first phase is expected to be completed by mid-2024.

Phase II includes Directions and Russell Apartments and totals about $54 million and 289 units. Phase III includes 36 new senior units at Roosevelt Apartments and 80 to 100 new units at Russell Apartments. Phase III is expected to cost more than $40 million.

At the end of these renovations, about 60% of New Directions' units will be updated and more than 100 new units will be created. New Directions said the remaining 40% of units do not need updates.

The updates at the Directions Apartments are expected to include new kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, HVACs, windows and more. New Directions is working to get the additional $8.25 million needed to launch the renovations at Directions Apartments and expects to secure the rest of that funding by the end of this year.

"God's gonna shine his light on Louisville," said Payne.

Related Stories: