Join us in the College of Business for an enlightening look at the economic impact of homelessness and what role business plays in addressing this crisis.

Each year, during the last week of January, cities across the US count how many individuals are experiencing homelessness in their communities. Nationally, the counted number of people who do not have safe shelter on any given night nears one million, while millions of others worry about the risk of losing their stability. And still, the country’s housing crisis has continued to grow.

Homelessness has significant costs not only for people experiencing it, but also for the communities and governments which pay for emergency healthcare, mental health services, sanitation, policing, courts and incarceration, as people without stable housing often rely on crisis-based systems rather than preventive care. Homelessness also results in indirect costs, including lost economic productivity, impacts on local businesses, strain on social services and other expenses related to public safety. In fact, the cost to communities managing visible homelessness rivals the cost of potential solutions.

Moderated by UofL alum Susan Buchino, this panel discussion will feature local leaders discussing the economic perspective of homelessness from varying angles, and how businesses are crucial in addressing the current crisis, including community investment in long-term solutions. Reducing homelessness benefits both individuals and the community, making prevention and housing investments a practical and economic choice as well as a social one.

Panelists include:

Susan Buchino, PhD, OTR/L, Executive Director, Community Advocates for Resources and Empowerment (C.A.R.E.), Inc.(Moderator)

Ryan J. Dischinger, JD, Directing Attorney, Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy

Lisa Dischinger, Co-Owner, LDG Development

Rebecca Fleischaker, Executive Director, Louisville Downtown Partnership

The Center for Free Enterprise in the College of Business invites you to attend this important discussion on a topic that impacts us all. Part of the Center's Menard Family Lecture Series, it is free and open to all UofL students, faculty and staff, as well as the community. Registration is not required.