The mission of Louisville Metro Community Services is to improve the quality of life for all residents, with an emphasis on poverty reduction and addressing the needs of vulnerable populations in our community.
Louisville Metro Community Services currently has multiple programs that serve the homeless in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.
Community Services’ Self-Sufficiency Services Team is led by Joe Hamilton and provides housing and supportive services to the formerly homeless. Multiple Federal HUD grants (including Shelter Plus Care, HOME Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Rapid Re-Housing Program, SSI Reimbursement Program) are utilized to provide the homeless and disabled with on-going Permanent Supportive Housing assistance. Program participants are provided with a rental assistance subsidy (or voucher), and are able to pick out a rental unit of their choice anywhere in Jefferson Co., KY. Thirty percent (30%) of the program participants current income is required to be paid toward their housing expenses (rent, plus utilities if applicable), with program funds paying the remaining difference up to the contract rent amount. Program participants receive ongoing supportive service assistance as a stipulation of Community Services’ on-going rental assistance. Case managers work directly with program participants to set annual goals, in the hope that program participants will achieve self-sufficiency. The Self-Sufficiency Services Team is currently serving approximately 650 formerly homeless households with on-going rental assistance and supportive services each month.
In addition to Community Services’ Self-Sufficiency Services Team, several additional Community Services programs and divisions serve the homeless. Community Services’ eight Neighborhood Place sites provide a one-stop shop for mainstream benefit access and applications, homeless prevention, etc. Persons facing imminent housing loss can go to Neighborhood Place to be screened for possible emergency assistance (the Financial Assistance program). Community Services’ Community Action division can also serve the homeless through various Community Services Block Grant funding. Community Services is also the grantee for HUD’s Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG). ESG is used to partner with multiple homeless service and shelter agencies. Community Services also contributes a large majority of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) public service resources toward homeless services and case management.
For more information, see: http://louisvilleky.gov/government/community-services/.