Kentucky doesn’t have enough housing. On that even the state’s lawmakers can agree. But the reasons for the shortages differ from community to community, exacerbated by natural disasters in some counties and a booming economy in others.
A task force, established by the GOP-dominated legislature earlier this year to better understand the state’s housing needs, has met twice this summer to hear from leaders of housing agencies and local elected officials about what they’re seeing in their communities. The task force is set to meet again Aug. 20 with three more meetings after that leading up to next year’s legislative session.
Co-chaired by Sen. Robby Mills, R-Henderson, and Rep. Susan Witten, R-Louisville, the task force is required to submit their findings and recommendations to the Legislative Research Commission by Dec.
1. Here are the major takeaways from the two meetings. Shortage straining renters and homeowners Wendy Smith, deputy executive director at the Kentucky Housing Corporation, an independent public corporation that invests in housing projects, told the task force in June that Kentucky has a shortage of 206,000 housing units, but that shortage isn’t just for rental units.
It also includes a lack of luxury homes and apartments that could help attract a workforce to communities. The Kentucky Housing Corporation released the first phase of a report on the state’s housing gap earlier this year, with the second phase of the report coming sometime this mo.