Louisville Celebrates HUD Choice Neighborhoods Transformation at Beecher Terrace

Left side: Beecher Terrace Choice Neighborhood ribbon cutting ceremony(left to right): Beecher resident Lamika Jordan, Beecher resident Gina Anderson, Louisville Metro Housing Public Housing Executive Director Lisa Osanka, Chairman of the Board of the Louisville Housing Authority Manfred Reid, Mayor Greg Fischer, State Senator Gerald Neal, Managing Director, Multifamily Programs-Kentucky Housing Corporation Tracy Thurston, President & CEO, Ohio Capital Corporation Catherine Cawthon. Right side: HUD Assistant Deputy Secretary Michele Perez virtually congratulates Louisville partners and residents on the grand opening of the first two phases of Beecher Terrace.

It's a new day at Beecher Terrace as residents and stakeholders recently gathered to celebrate the opening of the first two phases of the newly revitalized public housing site. Twenty-five of the 117 units in the phase I senior building have been filled by former Beecher Terrace residents as have 100% of the replacement units in phase II family housing.

"The residents and most everybody's got smiles on their faces," said Lamika Jordan, a long-time resident who raised her six children at the old Beecher site and who moved into her new apartment a month ago. "The feeling of community is back, but it's a feeling of community with hope now." That joy and optimism was echoed by all those in attendance at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

To make this day possible, HUD awarded four HUD Choice Neighborhoods grants totaling more than $30 million to transform the crime-ridden Beecher Terrace into 640 beautiful new mixed-income units with commercial space. The grants by HUD have been leveraged with more than $200 million in private investments.

"Housing is foundational and so pivotal to providing those we mutually serve with the hope and opportunity of a brighter and better future," said HUD Assistant Secretary Michele Perez by way of a video address. "At HUD we understand that imperative and recognize the ongoing need to provide avenues of hope and opportunity for affordable housing while addressing and working to resolve racial inequity."

Louisville Metro Housing Authority has promised former residents of Beecher Terrace first rights to return to the newly renovated site. For anyone who is not a current resident, but is interested in living in Beecher Terrace, you can call the hotline to learn more at 502-694-6760.

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