Part 1: ChangeMaker Elizabeth Strojan shares her path to becoming the Executive Director of the Louisville Metro Housing Authority, drawing on her prior experiences in the Peace Corps and various housing organizations. She outlines the current challenges facing the housing authority, including deteriorating physical conditions, high rates of mental illness and addiction among residents, and a need to stabilize operations. Elizabeth emphasizes the importance of providing more comprehensive, on-site supportive services to meet the complex needs of the housing authority’s population, beyond just the basic permanent supportive housing model. She is committed to rebuilding trust with residents and moving the agency towards innovative, resident-centered approaches in the future.

Part 2: In Part 2, Elizabeth Strojan acknowledges the tension in the affordable housing industry between simply providing housing versus a more comprehensive approach that addresses residents’ broader needs, like mental health services. Despite the challenges of limited resources and partnerships, she is committed to pursuing the latter, more expansive model at the Louisville Metro Housing Authority. Elizabeth emphasizes the importance of the housing industry, speaking with a unified voice to advocate for increased funding to support innovative, resident-centered programs. She highlights the current housing affordability crisis in Louisville and the difficult relocation process underway for residents of the deteriorating Dosker Manor public housing development. Elizabeth enthusiastically invites others to join the revitalization efforts underway at the Louisville Housing Authority.