LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Bed bugs, mold, mice, and maggots have all been seen inside of Louisville's public housing units.

Now, Metro Council is preparing to investigate Louisville Metro Housing Authority.

In a recent newsletter, Councilman Anthony Piagentini (R-17) said he once surmised that "the city may just be the worst slumlord of them all."

"Slum lord" is also how Councilwoman Paula McCraney (D-7) has described LMHA in reference to the conditions at Dosker Manor, the posterchild of the city's housing issues.

Nearly half of Metro Council, about 11 members, including Piagentini, Jecorey Arthur (I-4), and President Markus Winkler (D-17), are sponsoring a resolution calling for an investigation into LMHA.

“They want affordable," Arthur said. "They want comfortable. They want a sustainable place to live.”

The investigation will look into shortcomings in training, funding and also the leadership and fiscal management of LMHA.

“I’ve been begging the Metro Housing Authority to tell us what do you need from the Metro Council," Arthur said. "We approve the budget every single year, and I can’t think of a time since I’ve been on Metro Council where we’ve been asked to fund projects to support the housing authority. And that’s a shame."

Arthur said the most important piece of the investigation is talking to residents who live there.

“You have to work with the residents because they are the experts of their own experiences," Arthur said.

Angeletta Johnson said she's lived at Dosker Manor for several years.

“The problems have always been ongoing," Johnson said. “We’re constantly battling with mice still. We’re still battling with mold."

LMHA has recently seen a change in leadership. Elizabeth Strojan is now the executive director at LMHA. She released a statement to WDRB News that reads:

"There is no question that conditions at Dosker Manor are unacceptable. I was hired to tackle these problems with the urgency they demand. After a little over a week as the new executive director of LMHA, I can say that my team and our partners at Metro Government are fully committed to working with the Metro Council to address these serious challenges. I'm grateful for Metro Council's focus on providing high-quality and affordable housing to residents across Louisville and will certainly benefit from their partnership as we work to make real change in the weeks and months ahead."

LMHA will hold a special meeting about safety and security on Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 3 p.m.

Discussion matters will include committee objectives, chair questions with committee member responses, and changes suggested to Dosker Manor.

The meeting is available to the public at LMHA's United Building at 600 S. 7th Street in Louisville, or via Zoom.

The meeting ID for Zoom is 810 2088 0858, and the passcode is 792549.

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