LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Two high-profile shutdowns in the last few months have taken place in the Louisville-area.

First was a vacant building that was a target for crime, and now it's a problematic motel known for drugs and shootings.

"This is a place of concern for us, a place we've been praying would see some kind of change for years," Shively Christian Church Pastor Cody Hutchinson said.

There were hundreds of calls to police saying there was prostitution, drug deals and violent crime at Louisville Manor Motel that was ordered to shut down last month.

In July, the Kentucky Home Life Building in downtown Louisville was evacuated after people were living there and stealing the copper from the nearly 30-story building.

Now boarded up, the city says it prevents those people from trespassing.

"This falls into one of the examples of what we're trying to do," said Richard Price, who leads the Metro Codes & Regulations.

Metro Codes & Regulations is the agency that's cracking down on these problematic situations across the city.

"We got to make sure this city is safe for our residents to be able to come and go, to be able to do business with Louisville Metro Government, to have a vibrant economic engine," Price said.

Since taking over at the beginning of the year, Price's goal was to take a different approach, partnering with other metro agencies like LMPD and Louisville Fire to take care of these blighted properties while also helping those affected.

Like an apartment building in south Louisville.

Price found out the tenants' water was turned off because their landlord wasn't paying the bill. Price worked with the water company to pay their water for 60 days and gave them a chance to put it in their own name.

"Engaging the community, said 'hey we're here, but we're here to help and not to harm,'" Price said. "'We're here to support you and we need your help to be successful in our job.' We gotta be where people need us to be. Not just a name, not just to issue permits, not just to ding people for property violations."

At both Louisville Manor and Kentucky Home Life, Price and his team tried to help those people struggling.

"To not just boot you out but say, 'here's some resources for you,'" Price said.

And he said they can't do it alone.

Billboards are popping up around Louisville to let the community know Codes & Regulations is there to help. So if you see something that might need their attention, you can give them a call.

For more information, click here.

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