Mission

The Metropolitan Housing Coalition exists to bring together this community's private and public resources to provide equitable, accessible housing opportunities for all people though advocacy, public education and support for affordable housing providers.

MHC advocates for affordable, decent housing policies in the metropolitan region, state and nation by outlining and advancing legislative priorities that have included Kentucky Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the Alternative Development Incentives in the Land Development Code, and legislation creating a funding source for Individual Development Accounts for Homeownership, among others.
MHC also identifies emerging and long-standing trends and issues in affordable housing, as well as the key players involved, in order to craft appropriate responses/policy.
MHC articulates a compelling public education campaign for affordable housing by maintaining a public presence via the media and public statements on behalf of the organization and our members. MHC organizes regular General Membership meetings in order to bring pertinent issues before its membership. Recent meetings have explored immigrant housing concerns, tenant organizing, the growing income gap, and fair housing for people with disabilities. We publish a newsletter that reaches 900 people ten times a year.
MHC conducts and compiles research relevant to housing in the metropolitan region.
MHC also works to promote innovative, cooperative, capacity-building relationships and ventures between MHC members representing lenders, non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations and governmental programs. To accomplish this goal, we administer the Kentucky Housing Corporation Non-profit Housing Repair and Loan Program in the metropolitan area, providing low-interest loans to non-profit builders to ensure the creation of affordable housing. MHC also facilitates groups, programs, or organizations with common aims to strengthen systems related to housing ventures.

History

The Metropolitan Housing Coalition was formed in the late 1980's by a group of local housing and related leaders responding to two distinct events. The first was the surge in the number of homeless on the streets of Louisville, caused by the de-institutionalization of persons with mental illness in the 1980's. This shortage was heightened by the expansion of Standiford Field Airport, which would cause the eventual displacement of thousands of middle and low-income households whose homes were in the path of the expansion.

The group of advocates for affordable housing who formed MHC included the City of Louisville, the Jefferson County Housing Authority, St. Matthews Area Ministries, United Way of Kentucky, New Directions Housing Corporation, the Coalition of the Homeless, the Kentucky Commission of Human Rights, the Legal Aid Society, Highland Presbyterian Church, the Lutheran Synod, the League of Women Voters, the Fair Housing Council, the Kentucky District Council of Carpenters. Bank One, and the Louisville Community Design Center.

MHC was formed to develop collective strategies and to pool resources in order to affect local affordable housing programs and policies. It met for one year at the Highland Presbyterian Church every other month before it applied for funding for staff. When it submitted a proposal to the Bingham Foundation for a million dollars, it was given $100,000 to last three years until the organization became self-sufficient. With this grant MHC hired its first Director, Suzy Post, a civil rights and civil liberties advocate who remained on staff as Director until 2002, when Jane Walsh replaced her. In 2005, Jane Walsh left the organization to spend more time with her family, and Cathy Hinko came on as the new Director.

Committees

MHC harnesses the significant volunteer energy of its members it is active committees. MHC facilitates three standing committees, each chaired by a member of our board of directors: the Advocacy and Education Committee; the Fair Housing Committee; and the Membership Committee.

MHC also facilitates ad hoc committees on an as-needed basis to address current issues in housing. Currently, MHC is co-facilitating the Regional Housing Think Table with the Southern Indiana Housing Initiative.

Other committees of the Board of Directors advance board business on behalf of the organization.

Staff and Directors

MHC is governed by a 21-member Board of Directors and operated by a small, but energetic staff.

"A teacher assistant with median level earnings in that field can afford to pay $455 a month for housing in Metro Louisville. The current fair market rent for a 1-bedroom apartment is $503."
—MHC (report)