Unity Place is the implementation of a new paradigm in affordable housing that merges affordable housing with embedded support services to provide a much needed "hand up".

Sadly, Louisville has an affordable housing crisis which is a crisis shared by most cities across the country. By some measures, Louisville needs 65,000 new affordable housing units to meet existing and projected demands. There are also approximately 20,000 families currently on the Housing Authority of Louisville's waitlist for housing assistance. Our refugee and immigrant populations are also equally vulnerable to the harms caused by Louisville's affordable housing crisis as they are often unable to afford the full cost of suitable housing.

At present, Kentucky Refugee Ministries and Catholic Charities are often forced to expend considerable resources identifying affordable housing options in which to house newly arrived refugees and immigrants. As a consequence, newly arrived refugees, immigrants and their families are often forced to live separated from not only people with similar nationalities, but also from the very assistance and services that KRM and Catholic Charities provide to help facilitate their successful transition into our community.

Barrister Commercial Group, in cooperation with Kentucky Refugee Ministries and Catholic Charities, has conceived Unity Place, which will consist of approximately 260 multifamily units to be used to provide affordable housing for refugees and immigrants and the local population in need of quality affordable housing.

As an innovative concept in affordable housing, Unity Place will include facilities to provide resettlement services, on-site educational and workplace training opportunities, childcare services, access to mass transit, a clubhouse, a pool and other outdoor space and recreational areas.

Unity Place will be the next generation of affordable housing.