Louisville mayor focuses on public safety, touts economy in State of the City address

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- In his State of the City address, Mayor Craig Greenberg said the state of Louisville is strong.

He delivered the annual address Thursday morning at the Rotary Club of Louisville.

Greenberg began the address by focusing on public safety, highlighting that the city saw a decrease in homicides, non-fatal shootings and carjackings in 2023.

"To save lives and put a stop to this violence, we have to have a police department that is trained, trusted and transparent," he said. "And that means community policing, where officers work with the community to prevent violent crimes."

While Greenberg said he's "encouraged by the trends," there is "much more work to be done."

"Because when someone is killed by a gun, the impact travels much farther than just the path of that bullet," he said. "There's physical trauma, emotional trauma, families torn apart, and communities left hurt and mourning."

Greenberg also highlighted the creation of the Non-Fatal Shooting Squad at the Louisville Metro Police Department and the expansion of the Crisis Call Diversion Program in partnership with MetroSafe and Seven Counties Services. The program allows social workers to respond to certain 911 calls when and where specific care is needed. Greenberg said the team responded to nearly 2,000 calls in 2023.

He also touted the expansion of the Group Violence Intervention Program, where LMPD identifies those who may be "at high risk of being involved in violence as a shooter, a victim or both" and connects them with education, job opportunities and resources.

"As we work to build a safer city, we're also taking urgent steps to make it stronger," Greenberg said. "That means driving investments and creating good-paying jobs and career paths."

The mayor also celebrated the city's economy, and said there was more than $1 billion in investment in Louisville and 2,300 new jobs announced last year. That includes a $137 million investment by Stellar Snacks in the city's west end, creating more than 350 full-time jobs.

"We're being strategic about growing our economy the right way by looking at every decision through the lenses of equity and sustainability," he said.

Greenberg also shared details about his plans to create more affordable housing across the city. His "My Louisville Home Plan" aims at creating and preserving 15,000 affordable homes. Greenberg is also talked about his plans to make the Affordable Housing Trust Fund a permanent, revolving loan fund.

In December 2023, Louisville's Metropolitan Housing Coalition released its annual report, showing nearly half of the people living in Jefferson County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on housing.

The report also said home prices have gone up 11.6% from 2019-23. It also found that more than 40% of people living in Jefferson County are spending more than 30% of their income on housing, and more than 20% are spending more than 50% of their income on housing.

Greenberg also highlighted investments in local parks and libraries — specifically the opening of the Alberta O. Jones Park in the city's California neighborhood, and plans to reopen the Parkland Library after nearly 40 years. He also touted the reopening of a renovated Portland Library, the new Fern Creek Library, and renovations happening at the Main Library.

To read the mayor's full address, click here.

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