housing
Legislature approves $20 million for housing in disaster zones
FRANKFORT — Although it was much less than they had hoped, affordable-housing advocates in Kentucky are applauding the legislature’s decision to put $20 million into a new Rural Housing Trust Fund. The money is not a new appropriation but comes from more than $400 million the legislature had set aside last year for disaster relief […]
Senator says bill will address Kentucky’s housing needs; it’s just not written yet
FRANKFORT — State Sen. Brandon Smith is working on legislation that would address a growing housing crisis in Eastern Kentucky following last summer’s devastating floods. Colleagues of Smith, R-Hazard, filed a shell bill, Senate Bill 286, amid the Senate’s deadline for new bills earlier this week and Smith’s absence. After becoming the primary sponsor Wednesday, […]
Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund to help build eight new homes, help cover some home repairs
The Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund committed $600,000 in funds to build eight new homes in partnership with two housing nonprofits, the Housing Development Alliance in Hazard and Homes Inc. of Whitesburg, Gov. Andy Beshear’s office announced Tuesday. The fund is providing $75,000 per home for building materials. “While we are at the beginning […]
Second ‘higher ground’ site for rebuilding flooded Eastern Kentucky communities is near Hazard
Gov. Andy Beshear on Tuesday announced a second site on higher ground in flood-ravaged Eastern Kentucky — this time near Hazard — where plans call for initially building about 150 houses. The project would be partially funded by the Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund in partnership with local nonprofit builders, says a release from […]
Louisville sits on $38 million in rent assistance while residents are evicted
This week — like last week and the week before that — some of the 2.394 renters in Louisville who have applied for emergency rental assistance will go to eviction court and get evicted after the city recently received $38 million of emergency rental assistance. More will be evicted without the opportunity to apply for […]
Voters embraced affordable housing initiatives. Advocates say Congress should do the same.
Voters in Colorado approved a statewide affordable housing initiative in November; while voters in nine cities across the country OK’d measures to finance the construction of affordable housing, preserve existing rental properties and support renters. But as housing costs soar, analysts and advocates say more needs to be done and argue that federal action is […]
Beshear: Sites for rebuilding flooded Eastern Kentucky communities being considered
FRANKFORT — The state is considering land in Knott, Letcher and Perry counties as sites for new housing for victims of last summer’s flooding in developments that could include schools, senior housing and medical clinics, Gov. Andy Beshear told media on Thursday. Beshear declined to go into specifics, saying he did not want to compromise […]