Wendy Smith

Wendy K. Smith is driven by the fact that affordable housing leads to stable families and thriving communities. She leads statewide affordable housing efforts such as single-family housing development, homelessness solutions, rental assistance, and asset management for multifamily properties across the Commonwealth.

With over 25 years’ experience in affordable housing and community development, Wendy joined KHC’s in 2013. She has been instrumental in driving initiatives such as strategic business planning, preservation of aging multifamily properties, proactive asset management, and multifamily policy development.

Taking on the role of Deputy Executive Director in 2018, Wendy leads KHC’s federally funded programs including the HOME Investment Partnership, Kentucky’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Weatherization, Homelessness Continuum of Care, Housing Choice Vouchers, Project Based Contract Administration, and so on. She also oversees compliance and asset management for KHC’s multifamily project portfolio.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Wendy worked with staff to allocate and deploy over $500M in new, one-time relief funds. Efforts included emergency rent assistance, homelessness assistance, and creating new permanent housing for Kentuckians experiencing homelessness.

Before joining KHC, Wendy worked as a consultant in Midwestern and Southern states with a focus on HUD technical assistance and training. She was executive director for a Dayton, Ohio community development corporation, and worked as a community organizer in Cincinnati.

Wendy has a BA from Miami University and a Masters in Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati.

AC22 Session: The ERA Legacy

AC19 Presentation: Hot Topics in Housing Credit Compliance