CLOUT Action Assembly 2019
Over 2018, CLOUT continued to focus its efforts on solving key aspects of three critical community problems that affect the basic quality-of-life for tens of thousands of our citizens. Those problems are: failing public schools, the lack of affordable housing throughout our community, and the criminalization of mental illness and addiction. In addition to these issue campaigns, CLOUT launched a new initiative in fall of 2018 related to removing barriers to older adults who are seeking to age in place, i.e., remain in their own homes rather than having to enter a nursing home or other institution.
At our Nehemiah Action Assembly on March 26, 2019, held at Louisville’s Memorial Auditorium, with nearly 1,100 CLOUT constituents in attendance, we secured key commitments from officials on all four of these community problems.
Restorative Practices in JCPS
At the Assembly, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio committed to expand implementation of whole-school restorative practices into all 150 schools within the next six years, which is half the time in their original plan.
Due to CLOUT’s work, over the past three years JCPS has taken major steps forward by implementing whole-school Restorative Practices in 33 schools, with 10+ additional schools to be trained in 2020. This has already resulted in reduced behavior incidents & suspensions in the participating schools. At two schools visited by CLOUT leaders, their principals reported reductions in suspensions of 80%.
Decriminalizing Mental Illness & Addiction
At the Assembly, four key members of Metro Council committed to pursue new funding for The Living Room program (crisis stabilization for mentally ill or addicted persons, operated by Centerstone), as an alternative to jail and the hospital ER. in its first year and a half of operation, The Living Room assisted over 3000 persons. Unfortunately, due to city budget cuts, no funds were allocated to the program for 2019-20, and so the program has temporarily closed. CLOUT continues to work to reopen The Living Room.
Affordable Housing
Five key members of Metro Council committed to pursue additional funding for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund in the FY20 city budget, and when the city budget was approved in June, $5 million was allocated. (This represents over $27 million in allocations to the Trust Fund over the past four years.)
Removing Barriers to Older Adults Seeking to Age In Place
Over the past year, CLOUT’s research has revealed that older adults in Louisville are often forced to leave their homes and enter an institution due to a lack of knowledge or access to affordable services and programs for maintaining their homes and meeting their basic needs.
We determined that our city needs a better system of informing and connecting our growing population of older adults to the services and social opportunities that they need in order to thrive and remain independent. This includes making improvements to existing information & referral services (211, 311, and KIPDA’s Area Agency on Aging), and the creation of a “Village”-model program as exists in many other cities. At the Nehemiah Action, we secured commitments from officials with UofL, Metro United Way, and KIPDA to support these initiatives.
