LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- In a budget proposal adding up to more than $1 billion, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg proposed millions in funding to support affordable housing. 

Greenberg presented his first budget proposal Thursday to Louisville's Metro Council, covering a range of priorities including downtown revitalization, Louisville Metro Police, housing and more. 

Among the proposals was $15 million for the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund (LAHTF), which Metro Council created several years ago with a goal to address the shortage of affordable housing in the city. 

"We have created or been involved in assisting in the creation or preservation of over 5,000 units since 2017," LAHTF's Executive Director Christie McCravy said. 

McCravy said LAHTF typically works with developers, but, in the past few years, LAHTF has been forced to turn down several projects simply because of money. 

"Over the past two years, we have had to turn down probably 20 projects that were near ready to go forward due to the lack of funding that we had," she said. 

McCravy said if the proposed $15 million is approved by Metro Council, it would "easily" produce more than 1,000 units for affordable housing in the city. 

"We need affordable housing across the entire footprint of Jefferson County," she said.

Earlier this year, the Coalition for the Homeless said there is a homelessness crisis in Louisville. The coalition presented four recommendations for a solution, including creating hundreds of new shelter beds and thousands of affordable housing units.

"Of course, one significant aspect of our homelessness challenge is that we don't have enough places to live for people with limited incomes," Greenberg said Thursday while sharing his budget proposal.

In addition to the $15 million for the LAHTF, he's also proposing $2 million for a "Community Care Campus" near Smoketown. The campus is a partnership between Metro Government, Norton Healthcare, UofL Health, the Coalition for the Homeless, and other organizations. The idea is that the space will provide medical care, case management, and temporary housing for Louisville's homeless population. 

"Homeless Louisvillians will be able to access medical care and other services they need to get off of the streets and stay out of the emergency room," Greenberg said Thursday. 

The Community Care Campus was first announced in January. Greenberg said the money in this budget proposal would fund land acquisition and improve buildings now on the site. Another $3 million would create a women's day shelter on the campus.

According to the mayor's office, the campus is expected to open sometime this fall. The women's shelter is still pending council approval. 

Jeff Gill, founder of Hip Hop Cares outreach services, said if it works as expected, he believes the campus could truly help those in need. Still, he said immediate shelter opens are necessary for those on the streets right now.

"I'm going to hold onto that hope until I'm shown otherwise," Gill said. "But, even with that, again, we need more. We just need more. I'm hopeful, but we need more."

In addition to these funds, Greenberg has also proposed thousands to go toward the outdoor homeless space known as Hope Village, just down the road from where the Community Care Campus is expected to be created.

At this point, the upcoming budget is still a proposal. Metro Council will meet in May and June to hold budget hearings. A budget will be approved before July 1. 

To read Greenberg's full budget proposal, click here.

Related Stories:

Copyright 2023 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.