Federal guidelines suggest that households should spend no more than 30% of their income on housing and utility payments. However, more than 40,000 Louisville households spend more than 50% of their income on rent and homeownership costs. As a result, they do not have enough income remaining to adequately pay for food, healthcare or other basic needs, and some households have chosen to move farther away from employment centers to find more affordable housing options. While this may reduce housing costs, it increases transportation costs and the length of their commute and decreases overall community health.

The Louisville Neighbors campaign aims to help Louisvillians better understand what affordable housing is and why affordable housing for all is critical to our success as a city. Affordable housing can take the form of a single-family home, an apartment or a condominium. But no matter what it looks like, affordable housing allows members of our community to live independently and helps combat societal issues such as homelessness and poverty.

While the neighbors featured in the ads are fictional, this website highlights the stories of real neighbors living in Louisville who benefit from affordable housing. The original campaign was created by Via Studio with funding from Louisville Metro Government and input from affordable housing partners, including the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Metropolitan Housing Coalition and Louisville Metro Housing Authority.