Fires in vacant buildings prompt Louisville to test cracking down on squatters

After more than 80 fires were started in abandoned buildings in the Portland neighborhood from 2022 to 2023, the city of Louisville is now testing out a new boarding-up strategy to crack down on squatting.

Louisville Fire Department Chief Brian O'Neill said fires in vacant buildings pose a high risk because they do not typically have permanent occupants or alarm technology to alert emergency response. This allows the fire to build, potentially putting nearby neighbors and structures in danger before first responders can arrive.

"This is why it's a public safety issue for our residents," O'Neill said at a recent press conference.

The new measures will be in the Portland neighborhood, north of Market Street to the Ohio River between 18th Street and 26th Street.

"I just want to thank the departments for not giving up and working to make Portland, and not only Portland but other areas here in the West End of Louisville, a better and potential safe place to live," Councilwoman Donna Purvis, who represents District 5, said.

The pilot program consists of city personnel visually inspecting a building and confirming it is indeed vacant or abandoned. Then, the city will use "clear boarding" material, a transparent, nearly indestructible polycarbonate plastic, to cover windows and doors.

Clear boards are an alternative to regular plywood that better withstand harsh weather conditions and are more difficult to remove by trespassers. Each board can also be reused.

Anyone who is unhoused and found to be using these homes for shelter will be asked to leave and referred to services offered by the Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services. No arrests for trespassing are planned to take place, and an arrest would only occur if the person attacked LMPD while they were clearing out the building or caused a disturbance.

While being called a pilot program, this clear boarding system is not new to Louisville — the city tried it about 7 years ago. In 2017, the city tested out clear boarding in the Russel neighborhood, though properties were only boarded if the city received a complaint or came across an abandoned structure.

Emily Martin, communications assistant with Louisville Metro's Department of Codes and Regulations, said the previous project ended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said the current program differs from the last one in that it's more proactive. City employees now use a comprehensive list of abandoned properties that inspectors will visit and determine which should be clear boarded.

They're also asking residents to call Metro311 if they have a nearby abandoned structure to evaluate at 311 or 574-5000.

Since the program began in mid-April, the city has inspected 226 properties in the pilot area, which were chosen for inspection either due to being on the city’s annual cut list, recommended for inspection by Louisville Fire, or simply visual inspection when driving around the pilot area, according to Martin. Around twelve have been identified as abandoned, with about half a dozen already being secured with clear boards.

"Vacant and abandoned properties, we all know that they pose a threat to the general public, as far as squatters setting fires. We know that there's a threat to children in the areas having access to potential criminal activities," Purvis said. "I'm so, so very happy that to say that (the city) finally heard my cry."

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Metro to test clear boarding for fire safety, trespassing