October 23, 2008 – (RealEstateRama) — Awards honoring excellence in affordable housing were presented at the 2008 Kentucky Affordable Housing Conference in Lexington.
Kentucky Housing Corporation, the conference host agency, sponsored the awards to honor builders, nonprofit organizations and others who have made outstanding contributions to the state’s affordable housing industry in the last year.
Receiving the 2008 Homeownership Award was the Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises, Inc. (FAHE), which was recognized for its innovative achievement in providing affordable homeownership solutions. In one recent three-month period, the recipient produced 60 loans valued at $4.6 million. That one three-month total represented over 10 percent of the recipient’s total volume since 1980.
The 2008 Nonprofit Organization Award was presented to Kentucky River Foothills Development Council, Inc. This nonprofit located in Richmond provides a range of services including emergency shelter and case management for its homeownership program participants. Also, in the last year the agency opened a facility in Richmond for women recovering from alcohol and drug addiction.
Community Housing, Inc., received the 2008 Affordable Nonprofit Housing Builder Award. Their nomination stated that Community Housing, Inc., “…makes building a home an affordable and reachable goal for those who think it may never be possible.”
The winner of the 2008 Affordable For-Profit Housing Builder Award was LDG Development, LLC. In 2007, LDG Development, LLC built a 184-unit complex in Lexington, complete with a clubhouse, community center, theater room, exercise room and pool for individuals and families making less than 60 percent of the area median income.
The Mae Street Kidd Award is presented to individuals in public service who have made great strides in promoting affordable housing to the people they serve. This year’s recipients include State Representatives Jim Wayne, Tommy Thompson, Rocky Adkins, Mike Denham and Charles Siler. Representatives Wayne, Adkins and Siler were recognized for their efforts in the passing of legislation that created a permanent funding source for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund in 2006. Representatives Wayne and Denham received the award for sponsoring HB 373, which doubled the debt ceiling of Kentucky Housing Corporation. Representative Thompson was recognized for sponsoring legislation that created the Kentucky Homeownership Protection Center to address the foreclosure issue in Kentucky.
Cheryl Harp received the Dorothy J. Williams Lifetime Achievement Award for her lifetime of devoted service in helping make the dream of affordable homeownership a reality in Kentucky. Harp began her career at KHC in a clerical position in 1978. After 26 years of service, she retired as the senior director of KHC’s homeownership program. Throughout her career, she explored programs to progressively and innovatively maximize production of home loans while keeping the customer’s benefit in mind.
Don Ball, former KHC Board chair and current Board of Directors member, was recognized for his innovative leadership in developing programs to assist Kentuckians with special challenges while serving as chairman of KHC’s Board from 2004 to 2008.
“The awards presented today honor service and a commitment to provide affordable housing for Kentuckians,” said KHC’s CEO Richard L. McQuady. “Our deepest appreciation goes to all of our partners who work every day to help provide safe, decent, affordable housing in Kentucky.”
