Lexington Launches New Rental Housing Resource as Demand Continues to Grow

Finding a safe, affordable place to live can be challenging—especially when renters are also trying to sort through outdated listings, changing availability, and potential online scams.

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government recently launched a new partnership with City Wise Software to make that search easier. The new website, apartments.lexingtonky.gov, is designed to provide residents with a centralized place to search for both affordable and market-rate rental housing throughout Fayette County.

The need for a resource like this is significant. According to the City of Lexington, Lexington Housing Advocates received 933 calls last year from people who needed help locating housing they could afford. During the new website’s pilot and testing phase alone, more than 2,278 users visited the site. Of those users, 83% searched for market-rate housing and 17% searched specifically for affordable housing.

More Than Just a Rental Search

The new platform offers more than a list of available apartments.

Residents can search available properties while also accessing information about local resources, including legal assistance and financial and utility support. The platform is free for renters to use. It is also free for affordable-housing providers and landlords with portfolios of no more than 20 properties to advertise eligible rentals.

Another important feature is the effort to reduce the risk of rental scams. Lexington officials say listings on the site are reviewed by City Wise staff and identified as real, active properties before being included on the platform.

Individual listings also provide information that can help renters better understand affordable-housing options, including rental rates, availability or waitlist status, and income-limit information where applicable. City Wise notes that availability and eligibility information can change and encourages prospective renters to confirm current details directly with the property.

Lexington's Housing Needs Extend Beyond the Search

Providing better access to available housing is an important step, but Lexington's growing demand for housing also highlights the continuing need to create, preserve, and improve residential development throughout the community.

Lexington's Office of Affordable Housing defines an affordable multifamily unit as one in which rent and utility costs do not exceed 30% of a household's gross income. The city's Affordable Housing Fund supports both nonprofit and for-profit developers working to create and preserve qualifying housing.

Earlier this year, the city reported that the Affordable Housing Fund had leveraged nearly $500 million in private investment and other subsidy funding since 2014 and was expected to surpass 4,000 affordable units built or preserved during 2026.

Those numbers demonstrate that addressing housing availability involves much more than identifying available apartments. It also requires continued investment in new development, redevelopment, infrastructure, and thoughtful land planning.

Where Surveying and Civil Engineering Fit In

Long before a new apartment building, senior housing community, or affordable housing development is ready for residents, substantial planning and technical work takes place behind the scenes.

Depending on the property and project, that work may include:

• Boundary and topographic surveying

• ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys

• Existing-condition and utility surveys

• Site planning and zoning coordination

• Grading and drainage design

• Stormwater management

• Utility and infrastructure design

• Construction layout and staking

Accurate surveying provides the base information designers and developers need to understand a property, while thoughtful civil engineering helps turn those conditions into a practical, buildable development plan.

How Abbie Jones Consulting Can Help

At Abbie Jones Consulting, PSC, we work with developers, property owners, architects, contractors, and project teams on residential and multifamily developments throughout Kentucky and beyond.

Our surveying and civil engineering services can support a project from early due diligence and site evaluation through design and construction.

Lexington's new rental-search platform is an important resource for connecting residents with housing that is available today. Continued investment in well-planned residential development will be equally important in creating the housing options Lexington will need tomorrow.

Planning a multifamily, affordable housing, senior living, or residential development?Contact Abbie Jones Consulting to discuss surveying, site planning, civil engineering, and development support for your next project.

Sources

Beth Musgrave, “Looking for affordable rentals in Lexington? City launches new website that can help,” Lexington Herald-Leader, September 11, 2026.

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, “Lexington launches partnership with City Wise,” September 10, 2026.

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Office of Affordable Housing.

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, “Mayor highlights innovation, momentum driving Affordable Housing progress,” April 21, 2026.