Governor Beshear has announced what he called the largest housing project ever taken on by the Department for Local Government and the Kentucky Housing Corporation.
Several western Kentucky communities are continuing to recover from tornadoes that severely damaged the area in late 2021. The Governor’s office recently announced an investment of $223 million to bolster housing in Christian, Graves, Hopkins, and Warren counties, totaling 953 housing units across 11 projects.
The complexes are intended for middle- and low-income households, and officials said the rent will be limited to keep the units reasonably priced. Beshear said these developments aim to fulfill a historic need for affordable housing, compounded by the 2021 tornadoes.
“To help a town not just survive, but thrive, affordable housing is so critical. And for all those survivors that might not have owned their home, that might not have qualified for certain FEMA or other insurance funding, there was a gap. And admittedly, it was a gap that kept me up at night,” said Beshear.
Mayfield Mayor Kathy O’Nan said the 122 units going to Graves County will help drive the community forward.
“When you realize that these units will house individuals and families who have suffered enough, and who’ve continued to stay in Mayfield and continued to help us rebuild that community,” said O’Nan. “You realize the role that everyone in this room- Kentucky Housing Authority, the Governor, everybody who works in this administration, this Team Kentucky- how hard they’ve worked for the rebuilding of our community.”
Construction is set to begin no later than spring of 2025, and Kentuckians will be able to lease the apartments as they near completion.
On the other side of the state, 19 homes have been built in several eastern Kentucky counties affected by the 2022 floods. Officials said more new housing developments are in the works as these communities continue to rebuild.