LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Eighty residents have been moved so far, but there are about 500 people still left to go as the city relocates those who live at Louisville's Dosker Manor.
Getting residents moved is proving to be a slow process, and Louisville Metro Housing Authority is facing a big challenge facing apartments to move them into.
From the beginning, LMHA has said that it would take almost a year and-a-half to get everyone out of Dosker Manor. The challenge is finding suitable apartments in a tight rental market.
One chair at a time, Walter Eggleston is a man with a mission. Wednesday was the last day he would call Dosker Manor home.
“Yeah. I'm ready to go," said Eggleston has he wrestled a chair into the back of a pick-up truck.
He could have had a mover do the heavy lifting, and LMHA would have paid for his move. But he chose to take the money and move himself.
So far 80, people have moved from Dosker and there are 498 more to move. The tough part is finding a place for everyone.
"But right now, we're just trying to and encourage residents to be patient with us. We announced this relocation earlier this year, and 80 people have been relocated voluntarily," said Jailen Leavell, LMHA Public Information Officer.
The apartment occupancy rate in Louisville is over 90%. LMHA is competing for low-income apartments, finding suitable accommodations for everyone currently living at Dosker will require LMHA to create housing.
“That is our objective to create space and relocate our residents to better housing. As you know a couple months ago we broke ground on our Iroquois senior living facility. We're tugging on our faith," Leavell said. "Partners were tugging on our private partners. We understand that housing is limited in Louisville, that's why this is a process. We're not saying every resident is going to be relocated from Doster Manor tomorrow.”
Donald Neafus and his wife were among the first to move from Dosker and placed in another LMHA property. When WDRB talked to him on moving day in August, Neafus said he couldn't be happier.
"Cause this place is like heaven. Ya know, it is a lot cleaner,” he said.
Dosker Manor residents have been bumped up on the waiting list for section eight and project-based vouchers. The reason for the relocation is the living and physical conditions of at Dosker the mold, rodents, lack of maintenance.
“We understand that the living conditions at dusk and man are deplorable. They're absolutely horrible. But our team is working as fast as we can and as hard as we can every week around the table and every day individually,” said Leavell.
Those issues will continue at least for the next year and-a-half.
Previous Coverage:
- Dosker Manor to be demolished in 2026, Louisville developer chosen to lead reconstruction
- City providing resources to Dosker Manor and other residents of Louisville's public housing
- Future funding in question for Louisville's Office of Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods
- Dosker Manor residents receive free wheelchair repair and cleaning
- First residents begin moving out of Louisville's Dosker Manor housing complex
- Power restored at Louisville's Dosker Manor after being out for nearly 48 hours
- Louisville's Dosker Manor residents facing another power outage after sprinkler floods building
- Power restored to Dosker Manor nearly 24 hours after Thursday afternoon outage
- Louisville Metro Housing Authority undergoes major overhaul under new director
- LMHA finding a way to tackle critical shortage of affordable housing in Louisville
Copyright 2024 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.