We are experiencing unprecedented challenges in Louisville.
And for the one in ten of our young people who are approaching adulthood under high-risk conditions, the challenges are particularly daunting. These are disproportionately people of color.
The mayor’s proposed budget includes $1.5 million to help prepare and support our community’s disconnected youth. The funding, redirected from prior allocations to the now-closed Youth Detention Center (total prior budget of $8+ million), would be an important first step.
We need your help to get the center and programs funded today.
Join the Coalition Supporting Young Adults in asking Louisville Metro Council to:
- Fully fund the development of a one-stop employment and education center for reengaging vulnerable youth with a blend of resources from Louisville Metro ($1 million reallocated from the closed Youth Detention Center), partner organizations, and federal and state funds.
- Allocate Louisville Metro External Agency Funds to programs supporting disconnected youth ($500,000 of funding from the closed Youth Detention Center).
Will you please send an email to Metro Council right now?
- Find your Metro Council person here.
- Call your Metro Council person or click here to send them an email.
- If you call, say this: “Our young adults are our future. Please approve the items totaling $1.5 million in the mayor’s proposed budget for the youth opportunity center and related programming. This is not new funding, but funding rededicated from the now-closed youth detention center. Thank you.”
- If you email, copy and paste this message (and change it if needed!) and send:
Dear [Metro Councilperson’s name],
Young adults are our future, and they need better and more support in order to thrive in our great city.
Please help us take a first step by supporting the inclusion in Louisville’s city budget of $1.5 million for an Opportunity Youth Reengagement Center and programming, as recommended by the experts at the Coalition Supporting Young Adults. This center will serve as a one-stop employment and education center for re-engaging youth with a blend of resources from Louisville Metro, partner organizations, and federal and state funds.
We also ask you to allocate Louisville Metro External Agency Funds to programs specifically serving disconnected youth. These dollars are NOT new money, but rather a reinvestment of savings from closing the Youth Detention Center.
Every $1 we invest in helping a young person reconnect yields a more than $5 return on investment, saving taxpayers $2 directly and generating another $3.50 in net tax revenue. This $1.5M investment will yield an ROI of $8.25M.
Our community cries out for this investment in our young people, especially Black youth who are disproportionately affected by structural racism and cycles of poverty. It’s the right thing to do and as your constituent, I hope you will support it.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
The budget committee meets today at 2pm. To watch after you’ve called or sent your emails of support, click here to find the link, which we expect will be posted when the meeting begins.
Thank you for your support of this critical initiative for our city’s young people.