LEXINGTON, Ky. — City Code Enforcement officials are turning to artificial intelligence to more efficiently identify and address problem neighborhoods, moving beyond traditional complaint-driven enforcement methods to a more proactive, data-driven approach.

During a May 5 presentation to the Social Services and Public Safety Committee, Code Enforcement Director Oliver Lee Steele outlined plans to use AI technology to analyze existing complaint data and identify enforcement "hotspots" across Lexington. The department, which became the first Code Enforcement division in Kentucky to earn professional accreditation in 2024, is collaborating with local nonprofit BUILD and the University of Kentucky on the initiative.

"It is going to use AI to help us use the data that we already have in Salesforce to identify hotspots and maybe proactively work those areas in town, rather than reacting," Steele told councilmembers. The department stores complaint information in the database system Salesforce, and AI tools could parse that data to recognize patterns in complaint types and locations.

Steele acknowledged that as Lexington has grown, the "old-fashioned way" of relying on word-of-mouth reports to identify problem areas no longer works effectively. The department conducts proactive enforcement, but "we're not hitting nearly the numbers that are going to affect the community like I'd like," he said.

The initiative comes as Lexington grapples with broader housing challenges. The city faces a significant shortage of affordable housing units, with 22,000 homes needed to meet population growth projections, according to recent city data.

Code Enforcement already has demonstrated success with targeted enforcement strategies in specific neighborhoods. In the Cardinal Valley area, a fatal gas leak at an apartment complex in July 2025 killed one resident and hospitalized 11 others, prompting the city to explore more aggressive oversight of poorly maintained rental properties. Over time, targeted enforcement in that neighborhood has led to noncompliant corporate landlords "selling and moving out," Steele said.

The department is also exploring other tactics to improve housing conditions, including daily escalating fines to bring out-of-state rental companies into compliance. In severe cases like the Cardinal Valley complex, the city has condemned buildings entirely.

Vice Mayor Dan Wu said he welcomed the use of data to improve government processes. Wu is working with BUILD and Housing Advocacy and Community Development Commissioner Charlie Lanter on improving how the city tracks and presents code violations.

District 11 Councilmember Jennifer Reynolds asked about expanding Code Enforcement efforts to improve poorly maintained housing in other areas of the city, and Steele indicated that data-driven code enforcement could help direct staff resources more effectively.