Kentucky Housing Corporation Celebrates 50th Anniversary, Discusses Federal COVID Programs
FRANKFORT, Kentucky — Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC) will kick off its yearlong 50th anniversary celebration at 3:30 p.m. February 8 at the Cottages of Frankfort, 871 Cardwell Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601, with an acclamation from Governor Andy Beshear. The event will have a question and answer period, where media can ask questions about the federal housing programs to assist those impacted by COVID-19.
“These programs are transformative for people who have struggled with the impacts of COVID-19,” said Winston Miller, KHC’s executive director and chief executive officer. “At KHC, our focus is keeping Kentuckians safe and healthy in their homes. The new federal programs are a good start for those hit hardest by the pandemic. It helps eliminate the threat of eviction and foreclosure and allows them to hopefully begin rebuilding their lives and finances.”
The timing of both announcements is significant. February 8 is the birthday of the late Rep. Mae Street Kidd, a champion of civil rights and equal opportunities for all Kentuckians. In 1972, her bill, later called the Mae Street Kidd Act, founded KHC, funding low-income housing and providing low-income mortgages to Kentuckians who otherwise would not qualify for a home loan.
“We are thankful for the federal funds to help Kentucky homeowners affected by the pandemic,” Gov. Beshear said. “As we have seen over the course of this pandemic, Kentuckians’ homes have also become classrooms and workplaces and, now as cases continue to go down, these funds help ensure each family has their home to help them recover.”
Over the last 50 years, the corporation has grown to offer down payment assistance loans, rental assistance programs including Section 8 housing choice vouchers, weatherization assistance to homeowners, tax credit incentives to developers constructing low-income housing units, programs to prevent homelessness and specialized programs including Recovery Kentucky and Scholar House. In recent years, the corporation has helped administer federal programs for those impacted by COVID and assisted in disaster relief efforts.
In the last 50 years, KHC has helped more than 76,000 individuals and families purchase their first home and provides rental assistance annually to more than 27,500 low-income Kentuckians.
“We are proud of all we have accomplished over the last 50 years and the strides Kentucky has made in fair housing practices,” Miller said. “We look forward to celebrating our successes this year and developing new ways to provide Kentuckians access to safe, stable, affordable housing throughout the state.”
View the agenda for the acclamation below. You can also watch a livestream of the event if you cannot attend.
