LEXINGTON, Ky. — The city's Social Services and Public Safety Committee is scheduled to consider several policy matters Tuesday afternoon, including a Family Services update, code enforcement initiatives, and an eviction diversion program facing funding uncertainties.

The committee meeting, set for 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Government Center, 200 East Main Street, is expected to hear from the Division of Family Services on its work serving families with young children. The division operates programs including early childcare education, family service coordination, home visitation services, and parent education, according to the agenda materials.

City Code Enforcement officials are expected to outline plans to use 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 the May 5 presentation, Code Enforcement Director Oliver Lee Steele is expected to outline 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.

The committee will hear an update on the city's eviction diversion program's work and funding needs. Mayor Linda Gorton has proposed spending $400,000 in the coming fiscal year to continue the initiative, though it has been funded at higher levels previously. The program, administered through Legal Aid of the Bluegrass, provides targeted assistance—typically under $2,000 per household—to prevent eviction, utility shutoffs and homelessness. After federal Emergency Rental Assistance grants expired, the program transitioned to the city's General Fund in 2024 with $500,000 in funding. In December 2025, Council earmarked an additional $150,000 to support operations through August 2026.

Since its inception in 2023 with federal pandemic relief funding, the program has served 150 to 300 households annually and maintains a success rate of 70 to 90 percent in housing stabilization, according to presentation materials. About 7,225 individuals have benefited from the initiative.

The agenda also includes a periodic code enforcement update and discussion of eviction prevention and right to counsel matters. The meeting will be broadcast live on LexTV.