LUL Letter to LMC in Support of ARP Funding

1535 W Broadway
Louisville, KY 40203
(502) 585-4622

[email protected]
www.lul.org

November 11, 2021

Louisville Metro Council
Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government
601 W. Jefferson Street
Louisville, KY 40202

Metro Council Members:

I was there when the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods was created. Originally, the Mayor gathered community leaders to discuss the Trayvon Martin case. We had an idea that Florida’s unrest could be ours.  

As we met, the tragedy that hit us was not the one we were discussing. Instead, there was intra-community violence on Greenwood Avenue that left too many dead in the middle of the day. 

We gathered community from all walks of life to talk about violence. We requested that Dr. Blaine Hudson, and Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt lead the work. We chose Dr. Hudson because he had dedicated his life to uplifting Black Louisville, and he had credibility in the community. We chose Dr. Nesbitt because violence is a public health epidemic, and she was the head of our Public Health Department at the time. 

As community joined on, they studied and released a report. Written by the hands of community members. People in pain. We gathered them, and we listened. I did not participate on any team because, ultimately, the draft report would hit my desk before the Mayor’s. But, I watched. I listened. And Louisville residents expressed their pain. They wrote about violence prevention work and root cause change. There were conflicting opinions. For instance, I remember being in a room full of senior citizens from the west end, who wanted a more effective police presence. They complained about response time for non-emergency runs. They were specifically upset about young men on the corners shooting dice, getting into arguments and violence ensuing. At the same time, there were young people and others who complained of being over policed. 

The community recognized the needs and, at the request of the Mayor, told the government so. The challenge was that when the report was written, there was neither money nor enough political will to fully respond. 

In fact, there was even a debate about releasing the report. Of course, it couldn’t have effectively been hidden, given the number of community members involved in writing it and in possession of the draft version. 

To be honest, there was talk in the administration of not even funding the one position the community requested. They asked for a Director for an Office of Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods. Just one position, and we almost didn’t get it. In the end, money was shifted from a position in public health to create the new position. We were lucky to have one person whose job it was to focus on violence prevention. We were lucky. At that time, our homicide numbers were well under 100 per year. Those were the days when fewer families were suffering, but the community predicted future devastation unless real investments were made. 

Unfortunately, very few recommendations were followed. There was never enough money or political will to invest in affordable housing for rent or ownership. There was never enough money to really help support Black entrepreneurs and business owners. We did not see any real and prolonged form of community policing. 

We started initiatives but didn’t have budgets to employ staff to do the work. We now hear critics of OSHN, and we wonder what the critique is based on. Louisville was innovative in the creation of the office but not in funding. It took years for people to believe in the work and you see that faith, or lack thereof, reflected in the budget for the office. 

An office started with one, increased to two and then years later eight, and now 28. They have requested and deserve to be fully funded. We have always had the answers. We have always known how to avert disaster but Louisville, like many cities, delays until disaster. 

Let’s take advantage of the funds coming into our city. Let’s change outcomes. 

We need to fund affordable housing because years ago the residents of Louisville asked for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods. To that end, we must also fund a team to lead housing stabilization and navigation efforts. We’ve already seen how difficult it is to effectively deploy resources without a strong infrastructure in place. Landlords across the country have been frustrated by promises of rent payment, only for the systems to take weeks and months to release payments for their tenants. It is a privilege not to understand the stress on the renter, who believes help is on the way but is dogged by the strain of the wait. 

We finally have money to more adequately fund safe and healthy neighborhoods, affordable housing, and their necessary wrap-around services. The question for every metro council member to decide is whether or not you have the political will. I believe you do. 

Thank you.

Sadiqa Reynolds, Esq.
President and CEO

Chairperson
Lorri Lee

Secretary
Diane Moffett, PhD

Treasurer
Neal Thomas

President and CEO
Sadiqa N. Reynolds, Esq.

Board Members
Dr. Yvonne Austin-Cornish
John Borders, Esq.
Patricia Carver
Condrad Daniels
Honorable Brian Edwards
Vanessa Garrett, Esq.
Dwight Haygood, Jr.
Hunt Helm, PhD
Demetrius Holloway, Esq.
Luther Ingram
Earl Jones
Diane Laughlin, Esq.
Terryl S. McCray
Dentia Norris
Dr. Brigitte Owens
A. Diane Porter
Alan Quinkert
Stephen Reily
John Rippy
Carolyn Tandy
Purna Veer
Jamie Warfield