LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville's first ever anti-displacement ordinance is designed to keep residents housed and not displaced.
One voice among a crowd of many is hoping to return to her beloved Smoketown neighborhood.
"I have wanted to return to my community for so long," said Jessica Bellamy, an organizer at Louisville Tenants Union.
Bellamy has decades worth of family ties in Smoketown.
Her grandmother's restaurant is the famous Shirley Mae's Café, but now she said with the rise in the cost of living and new developers showing interest in Smoketown, returning has been tough.
"I feel powerless as I stand by and watch developers pick the bones of my community for profit," Bellamy said.
The ordinance prevents residents from being displaced due to an increase in rent and allows people to investigate discriminatory housing practices like urban renewal and redlining.
Councilmembers said the ordinance is a beginning.
"Our housing assessment shows us that almost a third of households in this city cannot afford housing; some of them are paying more than half of their income on rent and mortgages," said Councilman Jecorey Arthur.
The ordinance is written by tenants and residents of historically Black neighborhoods but it will affect the entire city.
It's co-sponsored by Councilmen Arthur, Kumar Rashad, Ben Reno-Weber and Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins.
"We need housing that is affordable in every area of this community," Reno-Weber said.
Metro Council members voted yes to unanimously pass the ordinance. The Louisville Tenants Union applauded Metro Council for the move.
Bellamy said this means the world to her, and it is beyond her wildest dreams.
"It means hopefully I'll be back in Smoketown, it means that so many people are going to remain in their homes and fight to stay in their community," she said.
It's a delicate balance; neighborhoods that were long forgotten are now seeing important investments so a displacement assessment will be created to measure how developers impact the communities they build in.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.